New Zealander Alan Isaac has been named ICC Vice President. The job of VP comes with an automatic ascension to the top job of el presidente in 2012. He is the appeasement put up after the World clamoured down John Howard’s nomination earlier in the year.

Howard is no great of the game, and though he was wont to describe himself as a ‘cricket tragic’ that is hardly qualification for the role. At the sharp end of proceedings in July, England was the only nation to support the ex-PM, along with Australia and New Zealand of course. In the nay camp huddled India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa. Curiously, as it is so often Howard’s strong anti-Mugabe stance cited as the reason for putting the kybosh on his nomination, Zimbabwe abstained. The ICC provided no reason for the rejection.

I’ve read speculation it was because he was seen as a racist, citing the immigration policy he presided over when in government, and he also famously referred to test cricket’s highest ever wicket taker Murali as a chucker; not overly diplomatic. The murky power of the sub-continent is claimed to be behind it, proponents moaning over how India controls 80% of the game’s global revenue. Have money, have power, they say.

In trying to understand how the doyens in the cricket commentariat are just as confused by the less-than-transparent actions of the ICC as the rest of we punters, you could do worse than read these two pieces by poet Peter Roebuck here and here. If you can figure out which one of these is the true summation of the situation please leave a comment below. Maybe Roebuck’s contradictions make a meta-argument analysis that is more than the words he uses, that in contradicting himself he reveals how the situation is actually unknowable. Or something.

Perhaps though, the answer is less insidious and more hilarious and Howard was voted down as anyone with this kind of bowling action (click here) has no place at the head of the sports governing body. Any opportunity to watch that footage again is a blessing.

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