Cricket Australia may announce Howard as its ICC candidate on Monday

Melbourne, Feb.28 (ANI): Cricket Australia may announce the name of former Prime Minister John Howard on MOnday as the joint Australia-New Zealand candidate for the post of International Cricket Council vice-president.

The ICC is waiting on Australia and New Zealand to give their joint nomination. The one who becomes vice-president in June will take over as ICC president in 2012.

Australia and New Zealand Cricket are at loggerheads over who will represent the Antipodes. While Australia is pitching for Howard, New Zealand Cricket wants its former chairman, Sir John Anderson, to be appointed as vice-president when India's Sharad Pawar assumes the post of ICC president.

"My understanding is that the joint process is due to send a name tomorrow and an announcement will be made publicly later in the day," Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said on Sunday.

New Zealand Cricket has been unable to provide a comment on the issue for several weeks and stayed true to form again on Sunday, with a spokesman for chief executive Justin Vaughan declining to comment.

This latest potential move to give Howard the statesmanlike role he appears to be seeking could hinge on Kiwi support. Howard's diplomacy skills would also face a severe test with the powerful Asian bloc within the ICC. (ANI)