South Africa’s Imtiaz Patel will not become the next International Cricket Council chief executive, the ICC said on Monday.
Patel had been earmarked to succeed Australian Malcolm Speed who will step down in July after seven years in office.
However, the sports television executive has told the ICC he is not interested in the post.
”Mr Patel indicated his decision in a telephone conversation with ICC president-elect David Morgan on Sunday,” the ICC said in a statement.
Morgan said he was disappointed that Patel has chosen to withdraw his interest.
”However, the fact that Imtiaz has withdrawn does not mean that, by default, we will be left with a candidate who is, in any way, inferior to him,” Morgan said in a statement.
”We have been fortunate to have several high calibre candidates on the shortlist, all of whom bring something slightly different to the table,” he added without naming any of the candidates.
Patel said he and his family had given the ”wonderful opportunity” much thought but at the end of the day did not want to leave South Africa or his current role.
The recruitment committee charged with identifying a successor to Speed will reconvene to identify a preferred candidate whose name will then be recommended to the ICC board. – Reuters