Stage set for potential rematch between Barclay, Khwaja for ICC chair poll

DUBAI: The stage is set for ICC chairman Greg Barclay and his deputy Imran Khwaja for the topmost position of the sport’s global governing body, but it is uncertain if the latter will run for the post after suffering a heavy defeat two years back.

As per ESPNCricinfo, Khwaja will be nominated for the chair election after ICC’s meeting next month in Melbourne. The ICC chairman’s election will be held during the meetings next month that are scheduled after the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup. It could not be confirmed if any other candidates will be in fray as the deadline for nominations closed on Thursday.

Previously, Khwaja had suffered a heavy defeat to Barclay back in late 2020. He fell short as his support diminished during two rounds of voting and it was the latter who got heavy support from the BCCI. Barclay prevailed by 11-5. In the first round, Barclay had secured 10 votes while Khwaja had half-a-dozen members of the ICC Board on his side.

The elections needed a two-thirds majority, which Barclay could secure with a vote from Cricket South Africa in round two.

This time, ICC has made modifications to its constitution and now a simple majority is enough for chairman polls. The candidate has to be proposed by an ICC board member and once he is contesting, a second board director needs to support his/her nomination.

The BCCI remains influential once again for both candidates. The BCCI has not decided to field its own candidates for the polls.

In July, Barclay had expressed his intention to continue for a second term. “I am available for re-election if members want.”

Khwaja still remains a prominent figure, having retained popularity through associate nations and helming the working group tasked with looking into situation of women’s cricket in Afghanistan. It is understood that he can prevail without endorsement from BCCI because of his strong support in Asia and Africa. If he contests, Khwaja will be looking forward to become first ICC chairperson who does not belong to a full-member nation. (ANI)