ZIMBABWE Cricket board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani withdrew his candidature ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s chairman election as former New Zealand Cricket boss was re-elected unopposed for a second term in Melbourne, Australia yesterday.
Mukuhlani had declared his intention to enter the contest - subject to his getting enough support from the smaller ICC Full Member countries as well as the Associates.
According to reports from Australia yesterday, although Mukuhlani pulled out of the ICC chair contest, his camp believes they have secured enough assurances that smaller countries will receive a more significant share from the ICC revenues as well as occupy key positions in the ICC committees.
Mukuhlani, whose administration has been credited with turning around Zimbabwe Cricket’s fortunes both in the boardroom and on the field of play, is part of the ICC's Audit Committee and chair of the Membership Committee.
He is also part of the global body's Olympics working group, which is tasked with pushing for cricket's entry in the Summer Games.
Mukuhlani said in an ICC media release yesterday that he decided to "withdraw" because he believed Barclay continuing as ICC chair was "in the best interest of the sport".
“I would like to congratulate Greg on his re-appointment as ICC Chair, as the continuity his leadership will provide is in the best interests of the sport. I therefore decided to withdraw my candidacy,” he said.
Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer, was originally appointed as the ICC Chair in November 2020 after succeeding India’s Shashank Manohar.
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He was previously the Chair of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and was a director of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2015.
He being elected unopposed also means that he had the backing of the mighty Boar of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) in the 17-member board.
The New Zealander said his aim would now be to "strengthen" cricket and help it grow beyond the "core markets".
"Over the last two years we have made significant strides forward with the launch of our global growth strategy that provides clear direction to build a successful and sustainable future for our sport," said Barclay.
"It is an exciting time to be involved in cricket and I look forward to continue to work closely with our members to strengthen the game in our core markets as well as grow it beyond that, ensuring more of the world can enjoy cricket."
