Sharad Pawar’s campaign for the International Cricket Council (ICC) president’s post has been given a big boost. In an important development, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is learnt have decided on backing the BCCI president in the title-race slated for mid-June.A reliable source in the Indian Board told The Indian Express today that the WICB is planning to withdraw support for Pawar’s rival David Morgan. Pawar and England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Morgan are the only two candidates for the top ICC chair that will be vacated by Percy Sonn of South Africa.The last date for filing nominations was the last day of last year, following which calculations indicated that neither of the two candidates enjoyed a clear two-thirds majority in the 10-vote affair scheduled to be held at London. Till this latest development on the WICB, Pawar was assured of no more than five votes — India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Morgan had the support of England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.With the West Indian support Pawar will have six on his side.If Pawar wins the race against Morgan, he would be the second Indian to take charge of the world cricket body after Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was ICC president from 1997-2000.The BCCI had no official comment on the WICB stand, but asserted that they were confident that Pawar will win. “I don’t know about the WICB’s stand. But overall, we are confident that he will win. We are looking forward to the elections,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told this daily.Inderjit Singh Bindra will have a crucial role in this, over the next few months. He is likely to be the BCCI’s representative at the ICC executive board’s summit in South Africa in the first week of March this year.
