“I feel truly honoured and humbled to be appointed as the president of the governing body of our great game”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Legendary Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas has expressed his delight after he was named president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a period of 12 months.

Abbas replaces Mustafa Kamal, who resigned after a fallout with ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan following the World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially put former chairman Najam Sethi forward as their candidate for the ICC presidency, but Sethi decided to pull out of the running at the beginning of the month, stating that a former cricketer should be president of the sport’s governing body.

“I feel truly honoured and humbled to be appointed as the president of the governing body of our great game,” Abbas said. “This is the sport which has given us friendship, respect, recognition and an opportunity to serve our countries in different capacities. Personally speaking, it has given me more than I can ever possibly repay.”

Srinivasan also congratulated Abbas and wished him all the best during his tenure as president.

“Zaheer’s outstanding career as a stylish right-handed batsman is reflected in his remarkable record with 108 first-class hundreds and more than 7,500 international runs,” he said. “Zaheer is clearly an iconic cricketer who always played the game with skill, flair and in the true spirit. He is a worthy ambassador of our great game.”