Anurag Thakur set to head ICC development committee

KOLKATA: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is all set to name BCCI president Anurag Thakur as the chairman of its development committee following the conclusion of the chief executives meeting in Cape Town, sources told TOI. Thakur's inclusion would also make him eligible to represent India in three other powerful ICC committees - the governance review, finance/commercial

and audit committees.

Sources said the ICC has decided to give Thakur chairmanship of the development committee in consultation with its board of directors. "ICC chairman Shashank Manohar was the previous head of the development committee and now it will be Thakur," a source told TOI.

Thakur can accept the post without having to lose his BCCI presidentship since, according to ICC sources, rules stipulate that only a member of the ICC board of directors can serve as the development committee head and Thakur is in the board of directors by virtue of being BCCI chief. "There is no conflict of interest issue here. The ICC is also not pre-empting anything right now. The next course of action will be taken after the Supreme Court order," said sources. The SC is expected to deliver an order on October 17th in the BCCI-Lodha panel case. The BCCI is also holding an SGM on October 15th ahead of the SC date.

Sources said the BCCI is "happy" with the development at the ICC.

The move is likely to be seen as a conciliatory gesture on the Shashank Manohar-chaired world body's part since the BCCI is at loggerheads with the world body regarding a multitude of issues.

India is not part of the ICC's finance committee - board secretary Ajay Shirke, who is not attending the ICC meeting in Cape Town, had even termed BCCI's non-inclusion in that committee as a "humiliation" - and has protested about the Champions Trophy budget allocated to England.

The BCCI also wants to perpetuate the 'Big 3' structure - in which England, Australia and India share the lion's share of profits - while Manohar isn't too keen on the idea. The Lodha committee recommendations have also put a big spanner in the relationship between the BCCI and ICC.