ICC President Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that the rejection of the candidature of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard for the vice-president's post of the world cricket governing body had no racial overtones.
"There is no white versus brown controversy... There is no racist angle at all," he said at a felicitation function organised by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in Mumbai.
The same body had elected David Morgan from England, who led ICC for four years, two years as vice-president and then two years as president, he said.
Pawar said though he supported Howard's candidature, other members of the ICC were not in favour of the ex-Australian premier.
"It was my concern to see that the process of election remains unopposed but unfortunately we could not persuade our other member colleagues," Pawar, also Union agriculture minister, said.