Kumble is hoping to make the sport better for all in the future

India leg-spin legend Anil Kumble has been named as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) cricket committee.

Kumble replaced West Indies batting sensation Clive Lloyd, who had held the position since 2008.

According to a statement released by the ICC, the decision to name Kumble as the new chairman was “unanimously” agreed upon by the ICC board members at a meeting in Colombo.

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and ICC statistician David Kendix both received a one year extension to be on the committee, while former West Indies pace bowler Ian Bishop voluntarily stepped down from his position.

Bishop voted for recently retired England Test captain Andrew Strauss to take his spot on the committee, which was agreed upon by all the board members.

ICC president Alan Isaac stated that he was confident about the experience Kumble brought into the committee, both as a player and administrator.

“In Anil Kumble, we have a new chairman who has unquestioned experience not only as a player with India but also as an administrator with Karnataka State Cricket Association, I am sure that he will carry on Clive’s good work and bring, like Andrew Strauss, contemporary thinking to the committee as both understand clearly the issues facing the modern game,” Isaac said.

Usually, the ICC cricket committee are encouraged to put forth plans to change the rules in any of the three formats of the game, so that the sport’s popularity continues to rise in the future.

Earlier this year, the ICC committee put forth plans to allow two bouncers in an over, getting rid of the bowling powerplay and reducing the maximum number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle from five to four.

All these plans were ratified by the ICC’s chief executives committee in June.

Kumble will now be looking for ways to improve the sport for all, and after having held positions as head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) technical committee and administrator of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Kumble is pleased to be representing the voices and views of the entire cricketing community.

Kumble now becomes the second Indian player to head the committee after Sunil Gavaskar.

The new ICC cricket committee is as follow: Anil Kumble, Allan Isaac, Dave Richardson, Geoff Allardice, Andrew Strauss, Mark Taylor, Kumar Sangakkara, Tim May, Gary Kirsten, Clare Connor, David White, Trent Johnston, Ravi Shastri, Steve Davis, Ranjan Madugalle, David Kendix.