London, Aug 4 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday appointed Harry Woolf, a former chief justice of England and Wales, to chair its independent governance review panel which will be assisted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"We truly aspire to be a well managed and leading global governing body and we are privileged to have Lord Woolf leading this most important governance review. There can be no doubt that, in Lord Woolf, the ICC Board has appointed a personality with enormous experience and reputation and by adding in the capability of PwC, it shows how seriously we are taking this exercise," Haroon Lorgat, chief executive officer of ICC, said in a statement.

Woolf, one of the most respected figures in the legal world, will make recommendations to establish the ICC as a well governed and leading global sporting organisation, the statement said.

"It is a privilege to be invited to undertake this important review that has implications for the whole sport of cricket. I intend to conduct the independent review in a thorough and transparent manner that will draw on experiences and good practices from within and outside cricket," said Woolf in a statement.

"I will seek to deliver a report across the wide brief that I have been set as soon as is practicable, noting - of course - the need for effective consultation and the consideration of various viewpoints before any recommendations can be finalised," he said.

The ICC had identified the need for an independent governance review as one of the key initiatives in its new strategic plan 2011-2015. The review will involve clarifying the role and structure of the ICC and its committees to ensure that strategic goals are met effectively and that decision-making is made in the best interests of the game, dealing appropriately with any potential conflicts of interest. This would include consideration of independent committee members and directors.

The ICC President nomination and election process, membership categories and criteria, effectiveness of the regulatory environment, constitutional framework and the ICC Code of Ethics and the process for dealing with investigations into corruption and breaches of ethics by the ICC Ethics Officer will also be reviewed by Woolf.