ICC looks east for new home

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is seriously considering moving its headquarters from London to Dubai. Ehsan Mani, the ICC's president, said that a lack of space at their offices at Lord's allied to increasing running costs were behind the decision to look elsewhere.

Mani and Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, talked with officials from the Dubai government while in the country for the ICC's cricket committee meeting. "We met some high-ranking Dubai government officials and had some positive talks," Mani told the Reuters news agency, adding that there were also offers from a number of other countries. "Even the Indian board has written to us that they would be interested should ICC decide to shift its base to a Test-playing country."

Mani has made no secret that the ICC's power-base is now slanted towards Asia, and a move to Dubai would further diminish England's influence, a thinly-veilled aim of many within the organisation. The ICC also has an office in Monaco, and this would be closed if it decides to relocate.

While Dubai has no major cricketing pedigree, it does contain the Sharjah stadium, a regular venue for one-day internationals and recently host to two Tests, as well as having a large Asian population.

The ICC, in various guises, has been based at Lord's since 1909.