ICC board proposes Richardson for post of Chief Executive

The International Cricket Council board on Thursday recommended former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson's name as Haroon Lorgat's successor for the post of Chief Executive Officer.

The board will make its recommendation for Richardson, currently the world cricket body's general manager, at the ICC annual conference in June, when Lorgat term ends.

The ICC nominations committee met in Mumbai at the weekend to interview four candidates for the role and obtained the ICC board's support via teleconference for Richardson's nomination.

"It is a great honour to be nominated to be Chief Executive of the ICC. I am delighted with this opportunity and thank the ICC Board for their approval.

"It has been a privilege to serve as ICC General Manager – Cricket, and that work will continue until such time as the ICC Annual Conference ratifies my nomination. I am looking forward to working closely with all the membership and stakeholders in the game.

"It is an honour to be following a fellow South African, Haroon Lorgat, in this role. I have learnt a lot under his leadership and thank him for his support in the last four years," Richardson said.

Johannesburg-born Richardson, 52, has been the general manager – cricket for the last 10 years and has an outstanding CV having represented South Africa in 42 Tests and 122 One-Day Internationals.

On retiring from international cricket in 1998, Richardson, a qualified lawyer, maintained close contact with the game as both a business director with Octagon SA and as a media commentator before becoming the ICC's first general manager in January 2002.

ICC vice president Alan Isaac, who was tasked by the ICC board with identifying a successor to Lorgat, said: "David Richardson was an outstanding candidate who not only had important knowledge of the ICC administration, its staff and its operations but also has unquestioned cricketing knowledge having represented his country so admirably.

"His appointment will provide continuity and a smooth transition after Haroon Lorgat steps down after ICC Annual Conference in Kuala Lumpur at the end of June.

"I would like to put on record my appreciation for Haroon and what he and the ICC staff have achieved in the last four years. There have been many challenges which have been met head on.

The ICC annual conference is to be held in Kuala Lumpur on June 28. If endorsed, Richardson will become the fourth ICC Chief Executive.

His predecessors were David Richards (1993-2001), Malcolm Speed (2001-2008) and Haroon Lorgat, whose current four-year tenure ends on June 30.