IndiaPost.com - Gavaskar resigns as ICC Cricket Committee Chairman

DUBAI: Sunil Gavaskar's controversial chairmanship of ICC's Cricket Committee came to a sudden end when he announced his resignation from the post, weeks after he was asked to choose between his media commitments and his role with the game's world governing body.

The former India captain conveyed his decision to the ICC bringing an end to his long eight-year stint which was not only marked by a number of innovative decisions but also landed him in controversies for his outspoken views.

Gavaskar intimated his decision to the ICC after chairing the Cricket Committee meeting which concluded here, ICC's acting Chief Executive Officer David Richardson said in a statement here. The ICC had put Gavaskar on notice after discussing the potential for a conflict of interest for a person chairing the ICC Cricket Committee while, at the same time, working for a media outlet in its meeting in March in Dubai.

Gavaskar took over as the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee from West Indian Clyde Walcott in June 2000. He was given a one year extension in 2006 and was re-elected to the post in 2007. His term was due to end next year.

No decision has yet been made on who will succeed Gavaskar. Gavaskar said with more and more cricket being played it was not possible for him to do justice with the two jobs. "I have thoroughly enjoyed the eight years I have held the role (of ICC Cricket Committee Chairman), which is an honorary position, and it has been extremely fulfilling to be able to give back to the game through that role", Gavaskar said.

"However, with more and more cricket being played it has become clear that it is not possible for me to do justice to two jobs, the chairmanship of the ICC Cricket Committee and my media commitments," Gavaskar said. The master bastman said it was not possible for him to juggle in different responsibilities at the same time.

"As an example of that, I had to leave my professional commitments as a commentator on the Indian Premier League matches in order to come and chair this year's meeting in Dubai," Gavaskar said. "I envisaged the potential for this sort of issue two years ago and intimated then that I was not able to continue in the role but when I was asked to do so I was honored to be re-elected.

"Now, however, it is clear I cannot combine both roles and therefore I am relinquishing the chair of the ICC Cricket Committee," said the first cricketer to score 10,000 Test runs. Richardson said the ICC would try to utilize Gavaskar's expertise to benefit the game in some other capacity in future.

"Having someone of Sunil's stature involved has to be of benefit to the game and given the ICC's lengthy relationship with him we hope we can still utilize his knowledge in some other capacity in the future," Richardson said "We are indebted to the work Sunil has put into his role as Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee.

He has brought his vast experience of the game to bear, not only over the eight years of his chairmanship but also the six years prior to that, when he was a delegate on the same committee," he said.