Dubai: India's Inderjit Singh Bindra will have to overcome the UAE's labour law on the maximum age limit if he is to clinch the International Cricket Council's chief executive post.
Discussions to finalise the successor to the present chief executive Malcolm Speed will commence today in Dubai.
The ICC's CEO post is a paid job and hence will have to follow the guidelines of the UAE labour law. Since Bindra is over 65, the law may go against him.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keen to clinch this top administrative post.
Their board president Sharad Pawar is set to take over as ICC President from 2010.
Work permits
India is keen to have a greater say in world cricket by clinching these two top positions in the world's cricketing body.
As per the UAE labour law, work permits are not issued for those above 60 but it does renew existing labour permits till the age of 70.
According to sources, Pawar flew into Dubai on Friday and explored possibilities of waving this law as a special case.
Pawar, who is also the Union Minister for Agriculture in Indian government, returned to New Delhi yesterday after clearing the way for Bindra.
According to information, Pawar has convinced the ICC that the labour law will apply only to certain categories of employees and the chief executive's post does not fall into that category. Moreover, the ICC had received special permission from the government to have its head quarters here.
Egon Zehnder International, a recruitment firm was appointed to identify the suitable candidate for the post and they had recommended a few names.
Should Bindra fail to clinch the post, India may back Imtiaz Patel, a South African of Indian origin, who heads the Supersport broadcast network.
Dave Richardson, the ICC General Manager and former South African cricketer has also emerged as a strong candidate for the post. Haroon Lorgat, the former chief selector of the South African cricket board, is also in the fray.
The chief executive will be selected by a four member sub committee made up of Ray Mali, president ICC, David Morgan of England, Creagh O'Connor of Australia and Pawar.
