Mani warns ICC credibility at risk

	Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed forged an effective partnership while president and CEO of the ICC © Getty Images

Ehsan Mani has warned that the ICC could lose credibility as a result of the "disgraceful" handling of the Malcolm Speed affair. Speed was placed on gardening leave until the end of his contract in July after reportedly falling out with some of the executive board.

Mani, who was president of the ICC between 2003 and 2006, said that he was disappointed with the way the matter had been dealt with. "He [Speed] has served the ICC with loyalty and a huge amount of distinction and I would have expected that if there were differences they could have been handled privately," Mani told the Daily Telegraph.

"The way the board has handled this has been disgraceful. If they do not pull their act together they will lose credibility.'' Mani's comments come in the wake of similar remarks by his predecessor, Malcolm Gray, who said that things had got out of control and that differences "should be handled better".

The current executive will also be uneasy with Mani's comments about the independent forensic audit into Zimbabwe Cricket. It voted to keep the report secret, a decision which was the catalyst for Speed's departure as he made it clear he did not agree with the move.

"The ICC must always be transparent,'' Mani said. "Ideally the report should have been made public. Nothing ever stays private. But I am hopeful that with David Morgan taking over [in July] the ICC will come through this."