“I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Narayanaswami Srinivasan has been named as the International Cricket Counil’s (ICC) first chairman following constitutional changes that were made to the world cricketing body at their annual conference in Melbourne.

Srinivasan was chosen to take over the position even though the Supreme Court in India suspended him from his role as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This is because they are conducting an investigation into the match-fixing incident that took place in last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).

“It is an honour to be confirmed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council,” Srinivasan said. “I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field. I want to ensure that cricket retains and grows its popularity, and that the ICC plays a leading role in this global growth.

“I want to see more strong teams in international cricket. For this to be achieved, we all need to work hard to develop local talent in our countries. Naturally, there will be more support to those who first show they can help themselves.

“The ICC is a Members’ organisation and the pathway is now there for any Member to play Test cricket or in the major ICC events if it performs well enough over a sustained period of time.”

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel branded Srinivasan’s appointment as “a proud and historic moment for Indian cricket”.

“As India takes the leadership position in world cricket, the responsibility of guiding the game in these challenging times could not have found a better leader than Mr Srinivasan,” Patel said via a statement. “This establishes the important role that the BCCI will essay, as we take this responsibility to work with other members during these days of growth.”