silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
Some interesting excerpts:
Speed said he "cannot see" the ICC stripping Zimbabwe of its Full Member status on the grounds of financial mismanagement and links with the ruling Zanu-PF. He detailed the sequence of events leading to his exit from the ICC, beginning with the ICC board's review in March this year of the KPMG report into the finances of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC). The report, Speed said, showed that there had been irregularities in ZC's finances but the ICC resolved to take no further action on the basis that the report did not prove any individual within ZC had profited.
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/380801.htmlThe other major issue towards the end of Speed's tenure was the emergence of India as cricket's power centre. While asserting that India should act responsibly, he said there was "too much fear" of an Indian takeover and the power of the Indian administrators. Instead, he said the game needs to tap into the passion for cricket in India - "cricket is the most popular sport by a factor of about 30 in the second-most populous country in the world".
India's emergence has coincided with a decline in the power of the ICC and Speed put it down to its structure. "I think it is common ground that the board is too large. Sixteen directors is a large gathering. All countries have agreed to this structure and it is very unlikely that it will be changed.
"In recent years, Australia has been a very close ally of India in major strategic decisions - perhaps its closest ally. There is a lot of speculation about the 'Asian bloc' in cricket. This occurs rarely. In the past few years, Australia has been more likely to vote with India than some of the Asian countries.