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Dubai: Ending all speculations on whether Sunil Gavaskar would continue as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) cricket committee, the former Indian skipper resigned from the post.
After chairing the two-day committee meeting at the Montgomerie Golf Club in Dubai, Gavaskar informed the ICC on Wednesday that he was relinquishing his post.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the eight years I have held the role, which is an honorary position, and it has been extremely fulfilling to be able to give back to the game through that role.
"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," said Gavaskar.
It is understood that Gavaskar even found it very difficult to attend the two-day meeting due to his TV commitments.
Gavaskar openly admitted that: "I had to leave my professional commitments as a commentator on the Indian Premier League matches in order to chair this year's meeting in Dubai. I envisaged the problem of this sort two years ago and intimated them that I would not be able to continue in the role; but I was honoured to be re-elected."
However, Gavaskar apparently was later asked to choose between his ICC role and his media commitments due to a potential conflict of interest.
No clear instructions
He had criticised match referee Mike Procter for banning Harbhajan Singh for his alleged racial abuse and also went on to criticise the English and Australian boards.
Speaking to Gulf News, Gavaskar clarified his stance on his comments. "I have been in the committee for a long time. There hasn't been any do's and don'ts that I had to follow. Nor has anybody else in the committee been given any instructions in this matter."
Gavaskar also made it clear that he will continue to express his views through the columns. "I want to state what has happened. Very often in a column you need not necessarily write what you think... it could even be what people around you have mentioned."
According to a source, former Pakistan opener Majid Khan or former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi are in the fray to be Gavaskar's successor.
TIMELINE
- After the Sydney Test, Gavaskar, in a newspaper column, criticised match referee Mike Procter for banning Harbhajan Singh for his alleged racial abuse. He wrote that Procter preferred to agree with a "white player's version" than a player of Sachin Tendulkar's integrity during the row.
- Gavaskar, despite being the chairman of the ICC cricket committee, hit out through his column and termed ICC member countries like England and Australia as "dinosaurs", alleging they could not stomach India's growing clout in the game.
- Following the comments, Gavaskar was summoned by Malcolm Speed, the chief executive, and was asked to choose between being a media person and the chairman of the ICC committee.
- There were also reports that ICC, in its executive meeting in Dubai, had unanimously decided to oust Gavaskar from the panel, but there was no official information.
- With mounting pressure on his freedom to express through his columns and also due to lack of time, he finally quit.
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