ICC CEO Malcom Speed says he will not resign on Zimbabwe issue

New Delhi, May 7 (UNI) International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed has rubbished calls of his resignation by Zimbabwe players's representatives and administrators for the world body's ''ineffectiveness''in handling that country's cricketing problems.

''I have no intention of walking away from my position because of the issue,'' Speed told a cricket magazine.

Chairpersons of all seven provincial associations, players' representatives, former cricket directors and other ''stakeholders'' have reportedly written a letter to Speed asking him to step down on grounds that he failed to address the sporting crisis in the country as CEO of the organisation.

They also asked the ICC not to recognise the Zimbabwe Cricket management of Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute.

''The ICC declined to intervene, which should have been their duty,'' a media report quoting the letter said, besides citing the ICC's ''ineffectiveness'' in handling the two-year-old crisis and said Speed was wrong to allow Chingoka to investigate himself and Bvute following widespread allegations of corruption.

Speed was also accused of doing nothing to enforce his instructions to Zimbabwe to solve player strikes.

''We believe that in the interests of cricket worldwide you should do the honourable thing and resign your position,'' the letter concluded.

Reacting to the report, Speed said, ''I read with interest on Saturday morning a story in the media reporting I had been sent a letter from stakeholders within Zimbabwe's cricketing fraternity calling upon me to resign as CEO of the ICC over the organisation's handling of that country's cricketing problems.

''I have not yet received the letter but even if and when I do I have no intention of walking away from my position because of the issue. On the contrary, I am determined to use my role to try and ensure the matter is resolved in as satisfactory a way as possible for all sides.'' ''It is worth pointing out that the reports indicate it appears to emanate from a group of people currently outside the current Zimbabwe Cricket set-up. Their disenfranchisement may help to explain why they appear to have an axe to grind and I am a convenient target but their accusationsagainst the ICC are wide of the mark,'' Speed said.

''Those accusations ignore the make-up of the organisation.

The ICC is not simply Malcolm Speed or Ehsan Mani (the president).

It is made up of 96 members, all of whom are charged to run cricket in their respective countries or territories without interference from the centre.'' ''..it is not the ICC board's (of which one member is from Zimbabwe) responsibility to dictate how each individual member runs its own affairs. That would be impractical and would also be likely to provoke widespread opposition among members.'' ''Nevertheless, we have recognised the problems that exist within cricket in Zimbabwe and, within our framework, have endeavoured to help resolve them,'' Speed continued.

''And as an organization, the ICC has consistently urged all disputing parties to get together and resolve any differences they may have. The ICC will continue to urge the interim committee to address the action points in an open and transparent manner and looks forward to hearing back from Chingoka with the results of that work at the meeting scheduled for October.'' ''As CEO I will do all I can to assist in that process and I have no intention of shirking the task,'' Speed added.

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