DUBAI: South Africa's Imtiaz Patel has been appointed as the next Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and named India's I S Bindra as the Principal Advisor, a new post at the game's world governing body.

Patel, a South African of Indian origin, pipped Bindra in the race to succeed Malcolm Speed, whose term comes to an end in June this year.

The ICC Executive Board approved the recommendation of a four-person sub-committee tasked with finding a replacement for Speed, who has been at the helm since 2001. ICC President Ray Mali and President-elect David Morgan announced the decision after the first day of the Executive Board's meeting here and said Patel was the unanimous choice for the post by the 13-member panel.

"We are delighted that Imtiaz is the Board's choice for the post of next ICC Chief Executive. I have no doubt that if he accepts the position he will do a great job," Mali said.

Morgan told reporters age was never an issue for the post of ICC CEO, as reported in some section of media. "Since we required a CEO with special skills, if Bindra had been the choice, age would not have been a problem.

We would have changed the rules, if need be," he said. "This has been a rigorous selection process and I am satisfied that we have exhausted every avenue to find the best person for the job. We are now in the process of negotiating the details with Patel before he can be officially appointed."

Speed will step down at the ICC's annual conference at the end of June and Patel will be invited to take over at the same meeting for an initial period of three years.