HONG KONG, (Reuters) – Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been given a maximum of two years to reorganise their boards after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ordered its members to free themselves from government interference or face sanctions.
The ICC annual conference upheld a constitutional amendment to provide for the principle of free elections and the independence of member boards, cricket’s governing body said in a statement on Thursday. “It was agreed that all member boards must implement the provisions before annual conference in June 2012 and a further 12 months (to June 2013) would be allowed before any sanctions would be considered,” the statement read. “It was a well-established principle of modern sporting governance that national federations should be autonomous and free from interference from government in the administration of their affairs.”
The decision means administrative reforms will be required in at least three test playing nations.
In Pakistan, the cricket board chief is appointed by the country’s president, who is designated chief patron of the board.
