The International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold an election next week to fill a vacancy in its Chief Executives Committee (CEC). This position became available after UAE’s Mubasir Usmani moved to the ICC Board as the Associate Nation Director in July. Three candidates are competing for the role: Dr. Vignaesh Shankaran from Germany, Sumod Damodar from Botswana, and Richard Done from Papua New Guinea.
The election will take place between September 12 and 18, and the winner will serve out the remainder of the current term, which began in 2023 and will end in July 2025. The CEC consists of three representatives from Associate nations, and the two current members are Raspal Bajwa, former president of Cricket Canada, and Umair Butt, head of Denmark Cricket.
Key Issues for Associate Nations
One of the main concerns among the Associate nations is a recent change in the ICC’s qualification rules. This adjustment makes it harder for teams from the East Asia Pacific (EAP) region to qualify for future World Cups. While Papua New Guinea (PNG) qualified for the latest Twenty20 World Cup, the new pathway will require them to compete against higher-ranked teams from Asia. The EAP region only has one spot in the tournament, and now they must compete with the Asia region, which has two, for three available spots in the pathway competition.
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Richard Done’s Concerns
Richard Done, one of the candidates from PNG, has expressed his disappointment with the ICC’s decision to combine the two regions. Speaking to ABC Radio, Done said, “The EAP region as a whole was disappointed. It feels like the ICC is saying we don’t deserve a spot, even though we were ranked 19th going into the last World Cup and there were 20 teams in total. Based on rankings, we believe we earned our place, but the ICC argues that the region is weaker and should compete with stronger regions.”
Done’s Vision for Associate Cricket
When contacted, Done emphasized that his goal is to help all regions, not just the EAP. He explained, “I have been working for Associate cricket for over 20 years, and my aim in joining the CEC is to continue making a difference for all regions and members. I want to ensure that the views of Associate nations are heard and to contribute to the growth of cricket globally.”
Done, who is currently the CEO of PNG and previously worked as the ICC’s High Performance Manager for over 15 years, also highlighted the importance of improving the funding model and competition structure. He believes this would give members more stability and allow for better long-term planning.
The election will take place next week, and the results will be announced soon after.
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