Pawar returns,rejects talk of cricket divide

Sharad Pawar returned from Singapore on Friday after formally taking over as the ICC president and rubbished suggestions that rejection of Australian John Howard’s candidacy for the vice-president’s post would divide world cricket.

Asked about the Asian bloc’s refusal to back Howard,he rejected talk of any divide,insisting that the former Australian Prime Minister just didn’t get enough support in a democratically-held election. “The majority did not support him. Ultimately in any democratic organisation,there has to be support from the majority but that was not there in his case,” he said.

Asked whether the rejection would divide world cricket,Pawar said,“I don’t think so. We have discussed the matter individually and collectively with everybody including Australia,England and New Zealand. We took a collective decision.”

Pakistan ignored till 2015

Meanwhile,Pakistan remains isolated as an international venue with the ICC deciding not to allot it any event until 2015. PCB said chairman Ijaz Butt had said Pakistan should be given at least one ICC event after 2012 but there was no positive response.