JUST not CRICKET

Bowling them over with his diplomatic skills

THE JURY REMAINS out on John Howard’s tenure as Australian prime minister from (1996-2007) but the verdict is pretty well unanimous on his cricket accomplishments.

Just check out this video to understand why he has been nominated by the Australian and New Zealand cricket boards as their candidate for the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) president in two years. The position will be rubber-stamped in June and he will succeed India’s Sharad Pawar in 2012.

A self-confessed “cricket tragic” (just check out this video to understand why), 70-year-old Howard has no background in cricket administration – and some might say his administration of the country was also unremarkable (and occasionally sinister, a la “children overboard” circa 2001) – but he was apparently pursued by Cricket Australia for his “diplomatic skills”.

(Photo: Government of Australia, Defence Department Media Centre)

In a statement released by the ICC, Howard said, “Cricket has been one of my lifelong passions (just check out this video to understand why) and, if the ICC accepts my nomination, it will be a privilege to serve this great game.”

The ICC presidency is given to countries by rotation and the incumbent David Morgan, the English and Wales Cricket Board’s representative, will pass the baton/poisoned chalice to Pawar in June.