IANS

Dubai, Mar 18: Former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Inderjit Singh Bindra will be the principal adviser to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Imtiaz Ahmed of South Africa its CEO.

At cricket's world governing body executive board meeting Monday afternoon, it was decided to give Bindra a two-year contract but with a provision for renewal. In terms of hierarchy, he will be above the CEO. The official announcement is expected Tuesday.

The ICC committee appointed to find a successor to CEO Malcolm Speed has recommended the name of Imtiaz Patel of South Africa as the next chief executive.

"We are happy to announce that we have been unanimous in selecting Imtiaz Patel of South Africa as the next chief executive of ICC and we have recommended his name for approval by the executive committee," ICC president-elect David Morgan announced at a press conference in Dubai Monday,

The ICC had earlier appointed a small panel to search for a successor to Speed.

Morgan said the search consultants appointed by ICC came up with an initial list of 50 names. "Then we reduced it to a long list 12. We further made a short list of six and interviewed six candidates and we found Mr Patel best placed for the job."

Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president-elect, represented India at the meeting.

Bindra will be ex-officio member of both the ICC executive board and other council committees.

ICC sources said the canvas for Bindra to operate is so wide that not all his functions have been specified. One ICC executive board member said: "Sky is the limit for Bindra."

He will have his offices both in Dubai and New Delhi.

Bindra has been allowed to continue as president of the Punjab Cricket Association and attend BCCI meetings if invited for any specific purpose, but will not hold any office in the Indian board.

He will, however, have to disassociate himself with the Indian Premier League, which has been given shape by him along with BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi.

At hectic meetings late Sunday night and Monday among the members of the ICC executive board and the ICC sub-committee to select the chief executive, it was felt that Bindra was too senior and a key member of the ICC to be made CEO, the sources said.

The board members then decided that he should be offered the position of principal adviser in keeping with his stature as a former BCCI chief.

Bindra will assist the board and the council in their efforts to promote and develop the game. One of the areas he will be working on is to take the game to China and North America as part of ICC's vision.

It was at Bindra's initiative that the Sahara Cup series between India and Pakistan was first played in Toronto.

Bindra will also be handling all disputes between member countries of the ICC and will work to foster relations among the constituents.

Further, he has been entrusted the job of overseeing the smooth conduct of all ICC tournaments, including all world cups.