A week after his resignation, Shashank Manohar returns as ICC Chairman

Dubai: In what could be a sensation turnaround, Shashank Manohar on Friday decided to take back his resignation as International Cricket Council chairman and opted to resume duties in the top role of cricket’s governing body.

Former BCCI president had stepped down as ICC chairman last week with immediate effect. However, following the ICC board's resolution, he has returned to the post.

“ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar has today agreed to defer his recent resignation following an ICC Board resolution to request him to remain in post was passed with overwhelming support earlier this week. In a significant show of support for Mr Manohar the Board asked him to withdraw his resignation or at the very least defer it until the ongoing process relating to governance and financial restructuring are completed,” a media release from ICC said.

The ICC release also quoted Manohar as saying, “I respect the sentiments expressed by the Directors and the confidence they have reposed in me. In the light of this, and although my decision to depart due to personal reasons has not changed, I am willing to continue as Chairman till the responsibility as per the resolution is complete. I have duty to work with my colleagues to enable a smooth transition and continue our work on the governance of the ICC.”

“This resolution is a clear indication that whilst the Board may not yet agree on the detail of our reform process, we are committed to the overarching philosophies of it. We all believe that Shashank should be the man to see it through and whilst respectful of a decision made for personal reasons, we are delighted that he has agreed to remain in post until the completion of the 2017 Annual Conference where we can elect a successor," said Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever.

Vikram Limaye, a member of BCCI's Committee of Administrators, said: “It is important that the current issues are resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. We had a productive meeting with Mr Manohar recently (prior to his resignation) wherein we outlined the concerns of BCCI on the financial model and governance issues and our suggestions for resolution. We are committed to working with ICC for a satisfactory resolution of these issues.”

President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Nazmul Hassan, said: “For the greater interest of cricket, we need Shashank as the Chairman of ICC especially at this critical juncture. He can be assured of our full support.”