CSA board impasse likely to impact ICC chairman elections

The ongoing impasse in Cricket South Africa's administration could have global ramifications as voting for the ICC chairmanship gets underway. South Africa's vote could prove crucial in the race between Greg Barclay and Imran Khwaja, but there is some uncertainty over who will vote from CSA and who they will vote for.

Usually, each of the ICC's Full Members cast their vote through their representative - usually the board president or chairman - but CSA does not have an elected board or president in place after the entire board stepped down last month. Instead, CSA has two bodies at an impasse, each claiming a position of authority and leaving it unclear who will represent CSA at the ICC.

As things stand on Thursday afternoon, CSA's Members' Council - the highest decision-making authority in the organisation made up of the 14 provincial presidents - is preparing to authorise their interim president, Rihan Richards, to vote at next week's ICC meeting. Richards confirmed he is expecting to carry out the task, after consultations with the rest of the Members' Council, and though he would not indicate which candidate he is backing, he said it will be the one that "will be in the best interests of South African cricket."

But Richards may not be the person who casts the vote, as the Members' Council may face sanctions from South Africa's sports minister Nathi Mthethwa, who had instructed them to work with the interim board. If that happens, and the interim board continues in its role, that interim board hopes to send one of its nine members to represent South Africa at the ICC. That member has not been selected yet and ESPNcricinfo understands that the interim board's position would be to vote for Khwaja.

The ICC chairman is selected by a secret ballot and needs a two-thirds majority to win the vote. The new chairman will be decided by winning 11 of the 16 votes (or 10 of 15 if CSA is not allowed to vote) in this election. If Cricket South Africa is being run by the government at the time of the vote, it could be that they will not be allowed a ballot.

As things stand, CSA is not being run by a government-appointed body, with the Members' Council insisting they will be involved in the selection of an interim board even though the current interim board is determined to continue in their role.