Anil Kumble to continue as ICC Cricket Committee chief, says BCCI official

Anil Kumble, the newly appointed Indian cricket head coach can continue his tenure as chairman of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricket Committee, according to a BCCI official.

There were rumours floating around, that Kumble might have to step down from this post after his appointment as the coach and that former India skipper and current head of Cricket Association of Bengal, Saurav Ganguly might replace him in the ICC Committee. However, now these rumours have been put to rest.

"My understanding is that he can continue to be at this post. There have been few other former cricketers who are now performing the coaching duty and still the members of the ICC committee," one influential member of the Indian cricket board was quoted as saying by Deccan Chronicle.

"Darren Lehmann is Australia's coach and Rahul Dravid is attached with the Junior teams in India and are the active members of the ICC's high-profile committee. Why should Anil Kumble leave this post?" the BCCI official said.

"There is no bar on him as he (Kumble) fulfils the ICC's basic criteria of having played 30 Tests and is a former captain/coach of the national team," another source added.

Also read: BCCI clarifies the conflict of interest issue involving VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble

However, neither the BCCI nor the ICC has come up with a formal statement related to the issue and hence there is still no clarity on the matter. The fact that Kumble will be associated with the team and will be travelling all along might complicate things for him as the chairman of the ICC body.

Ganguly, on the other hand, is on the Cricket Advisory committee of the BCCI, which roped in Kumble as the head coach, and thus he might be his ideal replacement in the panel. Also, the fact that Ganguly has considerable experience as an administrator will hold him in good stead if he decides to replace Kumble in the ICC panel.