Edinburgh, July 15 (IANS) BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has been appointed as the Chair of the newly-constituted Governance Review Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC), while Mauritius was formally inducted as the global body’s 111th member during the recent Annual Conference in Edinburgh.

In a significant administrative development, the ICC said its Board approved the establishment of two key board sub-committees to oversee crucial sectors of the global game. The Governance Review Committee will be headed by Saikia, with Dr. Mohammed Moosajee (Cricket South Africa) and Dr. Ros Rivaz (ICC Independent Director) serving as the other members.

Additionally, the ICC has established a Franchise Leagues Committee, which will be chaired by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) President and former men’s captain Tamim Iqbal. This panel also includes Saikia, Dr Rudie van Vuuren (Cricket Namibia), Richard Gould (England and Wales Cricket Board), and Todd Greenberg (Cricket Australia).

Meanwhile, in a major boost to cricket’s global footprint, the ICC approved Mauritius’s admission as its 111th member, marking another important step in the game’s continued global growth.

“The addition of Mauritius reflects the ICC’s commitment to expanding cricket’s reach, strengthening its presence in emerging markets, and creating greater opportunities for participation and development across the world,” said the ICC in its statement.

In another key financial decision, the Board approved a USD 12.82 million loan to Cricket West Indies (CWI) to support the member board’s operations. The ICC Board also addressed critical administrative and compliance matters concerning several member nations.

Regarding Sri Lanka Cricket, the ICC noted progress toward a revised Constitution but reiterated the need for elections to be held at the earliest. It further ruled that SLC will continue to be barred from representation at ICC Board meetings for the time being. As of now, SLC is being run by a nine-member transformation committee after the government sacked the board’s previous office bearers.

The ICC also approved specific ‘Reinstatement Conditions’ for Cricket Canada, setting out the criteria that must be satisfied before its current suspension from ICC Membership can be lifted. Last month, ICC suspended Cricket Canada due to serious breaches of membership obligations, particularly towards governance and financial issues.

The governing body also formally recognised the appointment of Iqbal, who won the BCB President elections earlier this year, as the member’s Full Member Director, while agreeing to place France Cricket ‘On Notice’ following breaches of its mandatory Membership Criteria.

–IANS

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