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World cricket’s governing body has insulted Australia by rejecting John Howard’s bid for vice presidency in move which has “gutted” Cricket Australia (CA).
African and Asian blocs within the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday dismissed Howard’s candidacy without a vote.
CA chairman Jack Clarke said no reason was given for the decision by the ICC’s executive board after it met in Singapore.
Clarke said Australia’s relationship with the ICC had suffered as a result of a decision which “was in the grand final” of ICC insults towards Australia.
Howard, who was Australian prime minister from March 1996 to December 2007, was “extremely disappointed and extremely upset” at the decision, Clarke said.
“What the genesis … was, we don’t know, that is one of the frustrating things apart from not having any reasons,” Clarke said from Singapore.
“You hope it doesn’t affect the relationship but it obviously puts a block there for a while and makes you wary.”
Clarke said he was “gutted” at the decision.
“Gutted and incredibly disappointed that a man of John Howard’s stature has been knocked off for this job,” he said.
“If you keep having processes that don’t work, or are not allowed to work, I am not too sure where they go from there.”
Australia and New Zealand had jointly nominated Howard for the ICC vice presidency, a candidacy normally rubber stamped by cricket’s governing body.
Under ICC rules, the vice president becomes president after two years.
The ICC have invited Australia and New Zealand to nominate a new candidate by the end of August.
New Zealand Cricket chairman Alan Isaac said he was angered at the ICC’s refusal to detail their reasons for the rejection.
“We have been unable to get a reason for the lack of support for our nomination and it’s just not acceptable,” Isaac said from Singapore.
His Australian counterpart, Clarke, agreed.
“When you go through a process like we have been through, the most rigorous process that two countries could go through to get the best candidate, John wasn’t putting his hand up for this job, he was asked by cricket,” Clarke said.
“When you put up someone … as eminent as John, I don’t think embarrassed is strong enough actually, I’m just gutted.
“I think the ICC has missed a golden opportunity.”
Under the ICC’s rotational five-region electoral process, Howard’s candidacy for vice president should have been ratified months ago.
But opposition to Howard delayed the decision.
The opposition was led by Zimbabwe and South Africa, who questioned Howard’s suitability given his hardline stance against Zimbabwe’s Mugabe regime when he was prime minister.
Howard also faced difficulties winning over the powerful Asian bloc after once labelling celebrated Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan a “chucker”.
When India threw their considerable muscle behind the Asian bloc, Howard’s bid was doomed.
Clarke said India’s influence within the ICC was not ideal.
“In any business model where a company has 75 per cent of the income, it’s not an ideal model,” he said.
“But that is not India’s fault they do that … it’s a powerful bloc but it’s a reality of life.”
Howard himself said he’s disappointed because he still hasn’t been told why he was rejected.
“Even in private discussions they are very reluctant to give a particular reason,” he told Sky News late on Wednesday night.
“It’s a very unusual situation.”
He said it was possible his political past could be the source of the controversy.
“It could. That’s not been said although it’s been widely speculated,” he said.
“If it was in some way based on past political positions well that’s a very bad precedent to be establishing.”
He said he’s now out of politics and didn’t have any political agenda in seeking the appointment.
But he would wear it as a `badge of honour’ if African members really did reject him because of his hardline stance against Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe while in office.
“I’m disappointed at the outcome. I wanted to do this job. I thought I could do it well and I would have devoted my full time to it.”
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