Dubai, May 28 (IANS) International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan and president-elect Sharad Pawar have come out in support of former Australian prime minister John Howard's nomination as ICC vice president.

Pawar is set to take over as ICC president from David Morgan next month with Howard to step in as vice-president, a role which would see him take the top seat in two years' time.

There is, however, a rift in international cricket with the governing bodies in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka intimating they would look to block Howard's nomination.

Four votes are needed to block a nomination. With Australia and New Zealand, who nominated Howard, set to back him the stage could be set for a conflict.

After their meeting during the England and Bangladesh Test at Lord's, Morgan and Pawar said in a joint statement Friday: "The board of the ICC debated and approved, some two years ago, a nomination process for the presidency and the vice-presidency.

"The Board of the ICC had debated and approved the current nomination process for the presidency and the vice-presidency. The unanimous decision of the Board at the time was that the Presidency and the vice-presidency should be decided on a rotational basis.

"The ICC had decided that the next vice-president would be nominated by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket. Those two boards have been through a very thorough and robust selection process to suggest a candidate and now the ICC Board has to consider and decide on this nomination."

Pawar made his position clear. He said that he had no reason to object to the nomination based on the process which has been previously agreed by the ICC Board.

"I am sure we can reach a decision which will be unanimously supported by the ICC Board," he said.