Gavaskar Resigns Icc Post Over Media Role

Sunil Gavaskar has resigned as chairman of the International Cricket Council's cricket committee after being forced to accept that his media work created a conflict of interest. "It is clear I cannot combine both roles and therefore I am relinquishing the chair," Gavaskar said in a statement released by the ICC.

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, was insistent behind the scenes that Gavaskar's position was untenable. Matters came to a head during the race row between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds in the Australia v India Test series. Gavaskar condemned the ICC match referee, Mike Procter, for banning Harbhajan and depicted Australia and England as cricketing dinosaurs who resented India's domination. When the ICC president-elect, David Morgan, in turn condemned Gavaskar's dual role it was clear that his time was running out. "Conflicts of interest pervade our sport," Morgan said.

The ICC will struggle to replace Gavaskar as many cricket committee members, such as Michael Holding and Mark Taylor, will have to forgo the chairman's role because of media commitments. MCC, meanwhile, has announced that Derek Underwood will follow Mike Brearley as president. Underwood, who took 297 wickets in 86 England Tests, takes up the role on October 1.