The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Speed sent on paid leave

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Speed sent on paid leave

Dubai: In a surprise development, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Chief Executive, Malcolm Speed, was on Friday put on paid leave till the end of his contract following a “fundamental breakdown” in his relationship with the ICC President, Ray Mali.

Speed, who had occupied the high-profile post since 2001, had shared a strained relationship with Mali for sometime now and differed on several issues including Zimbabwe.

“The ICC President Ray Mali and Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed have agreed that Malcolm Speed will be on paid leave from April 30, 2008 until the end of his contract term on July 4, 2008,” the ICC said in a statement.

“This change of plan is the result of a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between the CEO and a number of Board members, including the President, over a variety of issues that include Zimbabwe,” it said.

Interim CEO

The ICC General Manager, David Richardson, will serve as the interim CEO until Speed’s replacement Haroon Lorgat of South Africa assumes the role at ICC’s Anuual General Council Meeting at the beginning of July.

Although the ICC statement does not specify the reasons for relieving Speed of his duties, it is learnt that the Australian administrator was against Mali’s decision not to take any major action against Zimbabwe following an independent forensic audit carried out by a leading company KPMG. — PTI

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