Morgan in pole position for ICC role

David Morgan, the ECB chairman who has recently been re-elected to another two-year term, is in line to become the next president of ICC. He has been nominated by South Africa and is the leading candidate outside of the Asian bloc.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that Sir John Anderson, the chairman of New Zealand Cricket, had been the early favourite but he is believed to have pulled out of the race. Nominations close at the end of the month and the Asian bloc Test countries could yet put forward a candidate in opposition to Morgan.

The new ICC president will the first to be elected under a revamped system. In the past each continent took their turn to hold the seat; Jagmohan Dalmiya of India was followed by Australia's Malcolm Gray before Ehsan Mani from Pakistan took charge and he was succeeded in July by Percy Sonn from South Africa. Under the new method there is a nominations committee with any of the 97 member countries able to nominate a president.

If Morgan is chosen his name will go forward to the ICC executive board for approval, and he would serve as ICC vice-president before following Sonn.