ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar steps down after two stints

International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Shashank Manohar has stepped down after two, two-year tenures at its helm. The ICC Board met Wednesday (July 1) and agreed that Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja will assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson until a successor is elected. The process for the Chairperson election is expected to be approved by the ICC Board within the next week.



“On behalf of the ICC Board and staff and the whole cricket family, I would like to thank Shashank for his leadership and everything he has done for the sport as ICC Chairman. We wish him and his family all the very best for the future,” ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said.



Khwaja added: “Everyone on the ICC Board extends their wholehearted thanks to Shashank for the commitment he has shown to our sport. There is no doubt that cricket owes Shashank a debt of gratitude for all he has done for the sport. He has left cricket and the ICC in a better place than he found it.”



Manohar first became Chairman in November 2015 before claiming a second term in 2018 by getting elected unopposed. Former England Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves and current Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sourav Ganguly are the frontrunners for the position. Former Cricket West Indies head Dave Cameron, New Zealand’s Gregor Barclay, Cricket South Africa’s Chris Nenzani have also shown interest at different times.



The 62-year-old lawyer had previously been the BCCI president twice — the first stint was from 2008 to 2011 and the second time from October 2015 to May 2016. As per ICC rules, he could have stayed for another two-year term as a maximum of three terms are allowed for an independent chairman.