Howard bowled out in ICC role bid

Former Australian prime minister John Howard is set to fail in his bid to lead world cricket after a revolt by Asian and African countries, a report said on Wednesday.

Former Australian prime minister John Howard is set to fail in his bid to lead world cricket after a revolt by Asian and African countries, a report said on Wednesday.

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The Australian newspaper said a majority of Test-playing nations signed a letter opposing Howard's future presidency of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will be decided at an executive board meeting in Singapore.

"Six of the 10 major cricket nations signed a letter opposing Howard as a candidate while a seventh, Zimbabwe, did not sign but is one of the main agitators against him," respected cricket journalist Malcolm Conn wrote on the paper's website.

"Howard's only supporters were the three white nations: Australia, New Zealand and England, reinforcing the power of the Afro-Asia bloc in world cricket."

The letter also asked that Howard, who is in Singapore, not be allowed to address the gathering, the report said. An official decision will be reached later Wednesday.

Howard, a passionate cricket fan who led a conservative government in Australia for 11 years, was the joint Australia-New Zealand candidate for vice-president and due to take up that role this year.

As is the tradition, he was expected to take over the rotating presidency from India's Sharad Pawar in 2012.

But the appointment has been opposed by countries angered that New Zealand's former cricket board chairman, Sir John Anderson, was overlooked for the role.

Howard had faced a challenge in winning over the powerful Asian bloc after once labelling celebrated Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan a "chucker", or someone with an illegal bowling action.