ICC Confirms Isaac as Vice-president

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed New Zealand's Alan Isaac as its vice-president on Monday.

Cricket Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC), whose turn it was to put forward a candidate for the post, opted for Isaac after their original nomination, former Australia Prime Minister John Howard, failed to get sufficient backing from the ICC board.

Sir John Anderson, the man Howard beat for the original nomination and Isaac's predecessor as NZC chairman, then ruled himself out.

Isaac, an experienced cricket administrator and former captain of Wellington's 2nd XI, has been the NZC chairman since 2008.

An accountant by profession, Isaac is also an ICC director.

He is now set to hold the vice-presidency from 2010-12 before ascending to the presidency of ICC, cricket's global governing body, in two years' time.

"It is a great honour and privilege to be confirmed as the ICC vice-president," Isaac said in a statement issued from the organisation's Dubai headquarters.

"I am looking forward to serving our great sport at international level and protecting the primacy of international cricket."

Sharad Pawar, the Indian president of ICC, added: "I am delighted to announce Alan Isaac's nomination for the role of ICC vice-president was unanimously endorsed by the ICC executive board and the full ICC council, by circular resolution, has also approved the recommendation of the board."

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said: "Alan is determined to build context and content in the future tours programme for international cricket while maintaining the primacy of the ICC global events.

"I am looking forward to working with him."

The ICC rejected Howard -- following a reported revolt by its leading African and Asian nations -- on July 1 and asked CA and NZC to nominate someone else by August 31.

Isaac, 58, denied on Saturday he was a third-rate choice or an ICC 'puppet'.

"I don't feel like second or third pick and if you talk to anyone who knows me, I'm not a puppet, I am my own person," he told The Australian newspaper.

"I'd like to think I'm judged on what I achieve or what I don't achieve in two, three or four years' time."

Lorgat has repeatedly declined to disclose why Howard's bid failed.

But the rejection of Howard, Australia's Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007, is believed to have stemmed from his very public opposition to Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe.

He also incurred the wrath of the powerful Asian cricket bloc in 2004 by labelling Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan a "chucker," or someone with an illegal bowling action.

Several Test nations also objected to Howard because, unlike Isaac or Anderson, he had no previous experience of cricket administration.