Dubai, Nov 22 (IANS): International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat will step down after June 30 next year.

Lorgat has informed the ICC Nominations Committee, chaired by ICC President Sharad Pawar, that he will not seek renewal of his term of office which expires June 30, 2012, ICC said in a statement.

Lorgat became the ICC chief executive in June 2008 and will have led the ICC for a period of four years by the time he steps down after the 2012 ICC annual conference scheduled in Kuala Lumpur.

Last year, Pawar offered Lorgat a three-year extension to his initial three-year term which ended in June 2011.

Lorgat had agreed to only a year's extension till the end of June 2012.

"My sense is to step aside after having delivered a successful ICC Cricket World Cup and the new global ICC strategy which is now in place," said Lorgat.

"In 2010, I felt there was much work for me to complete during 2011 which included protecting the integrity of the game and restoring the reputation and image of the ICC. Having dealt decisively with the spot-fixing issues, delivered a highly successful ICC Cricket World Cup and adopted a new global strategy, I feel the time is right to move on," he said.

"Although disappointed that the Test World Championship will not be played in 2013, I am confident that with the strategic restructures we have undertaken, all three formats can be sustained at international level."

The ICC nominations committee has decided to engage an executive recruitment agency to advertise and identify a successor to Lorgat.

The recruitment process will be managed by the ICC vice-president, Alan Isaac, and will begin soon.

ICC president Pawar said: "During his time at the ICC, Haroon Lorgat has steered the ICC through some tricky situations, such as the rescheduling of the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy, the location of the ICC Headquarters in Dubai, the response to the Lahore attack, several doping issues, the recent spot-fixing hearings and the highly successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2011."

"The game owes him a debt of gratitude for his good leadership and while we are sad at his departure we understand fully the reasons and wish him well in the future."