Pawar files nomination after Asian bloc meeting

Sharad Pawar, the president of the Indian board (BCCI), has filed his nomination for the post of ICC president as the 'common representative of the Asian bloc' after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) met in Singapore and agreed on his nomination.

"All the Test playing nations in Asia - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - have decided on the nomination of Mr. Pawar and it has been sent to the ICC," Ratnakar Shetty, the chief administrative officer of the BCCI, told PTI. Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said that the BCCI also hoped to rope in the West Indies board to back Pawar.

Earlier Syed Ashraful Huq, the ACC chief executive officer, said that the ACC wanted Pawar to be the ICC president. "The ACC cannot nominate", Huq told The Times of India. "So it is likely that India will nominate and we will support it."

Mahmud-ur-Rehman, the Bangladesh board chief executive, also confirmed his board's support to Pawar. "We are for it and have informed the BCCI too," said Rehman.

The last date for filing of nominations is January 1. The ICC will vote in its new president in its annual meeting in London in July next year for a term of two years beginning 2008 . The nominations committee is headed by AC Muttiah, the former president of the BCCI.