Apr 26 2008
Rift in ICC: Malcolm Speed asked to go on leave!
International Cricket Council on Friday asked the chief Executive Malcolm Speed to go on paid leave from April 30 till July following rumors of his reported rift with President Ray Mali.
“The ICC president, Ray Mali, and the CEO Speed have agreed that Malcolm Speed will be on paid leave from April 30 until the end of his contract term on July 4 2008,” an ICC statement from its president-elect David Morgan said.
According to Morgan, “This … is the result of a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between the CEO and a number of board members, including the President, over a variety of issues that include Zimbabwe.”
David Richardson, the ICC General Manager will be the interim CEO until Speed`s replacement while Haroon Lorgat will assume the role of full time CEO at the ICC`s annual conference at the beginning of July.
Speed has served as the ICC`s CEO since July 2001 and is only the second person to have filled the role in the organization`s 99-year history. He succeeded David Richards, who was CEO from 1993 to 2001.
Speed was also involved in some strained issues involving India when he criticized the track prepared for the third and final cricket Test between India and South Africa at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. He had sought an explanation from the BCCI and made his relations sour with some top officials of BCCI regarding the issue.
No further comments on this issue are expected from ICC till the ICC president-elect David Morgan addresses a press conference on Saturday.
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