Divisions within the ICC on Friday deepened with Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand asking John Howard not to withdraw his candidacy for the vice-president’s post even as new president Sharad Pawar hit back at his detractors saying the former Aussie PM did not have the numbers.
A day after the ICC conclave in Singapore, Howard got the backing of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard who said he should give it another shot despite being rejected by the powerful Asian bloc, raising speculation of a race divide.
Pawar, however, rubbished suggestions that rejection of Howard’s candidacy would divide world cricket. “The majority did not support him. Ultimately in any democratic organisation, there has to be support from the majority but that was not there in his case,” he said on his arrival from Singapore.
Asked whether the rejection would divide world cricket, Pawar said, “I don’t think so. We have discussed the matter individually and collectively with everybody including Australia, England and New Zealand. We took a collective decision.”
Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket are already seething in anger over Howard’s rejection and Gillard and Kiwi PM John Key echoed the sentiment.
“John Howard, passionate, passionate cricket fan. I share some of the concerns he’s voiced publicly about the kind of factors that are influencing this decision,” Gillard said. “I’d be very happy to offer full support for John Howard to get this role,” she said. —PTI