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HE was one of Zimbabwe cricket’s best and most powerful friends, and nearly a month-and-a-half after Shashank Manohar stepped down, the International Cricket Council website still has the Indian’s portrait and profile on their “Meet the Chairman” page.

Not only are the ICC not close, to finding a successor, the organisation is not close to finding a way to appoint the successor.

As a board meeting on Monday revealed, the ICC remain severely divided over what the nomination process to replace Manohar, who was the governing body’s first independent chairman, should be.

In the meantime, the ICC deputy chairman Imran Khwaja remains the interim chairman.

Manohar stepped down on June 30.

In a media release on July 2, the ICC said: “The process for the chairperson election is expected to be approved by the ICC Board within the next week.”

Instead, members have come unstuck over the election process, unable to decide whether the process should be based on a two-thirds majority of the board or a simple majority, and even how they would vote for the process to be changed.

This status quo has persisted since Manohar entered the final bend of his second term.

Despite having another two-year term available, Manohar had alerted key people within the ICC Board well in advance that he would be stepping down when his term ended.

Before heading out he attempted to find a consensus for a unanimous choice, but failed.

The Indian is widely regarded as one of the best, and most powerful, friends of Zimbabwe cricket. He visited the country on an official five-day visit, in August 2017, and was one of the key players who influenced the readmission of Zimbabwe Cricket, as a full member of the ICC, in October last year.

ZC chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, has repeatedly paid tribute to Manohar’s guidance and support.

As per the ICC’s constitution any present, or former director who has attended, at least one board meeting, is eligible to run for chairman.

ICC directors are each allowed to nominate one candidate and nominees with the support of two or more directors are eligible to contest an election.

The election process is determined by the ICC Board and can vary every election.

In 2016, when he took charge for the first time, Manohar was elected through a secret ballot. Two years later he was the sole nominee and was re-elected unanimously without a vote.

This time, though, the board has yet to find consensus on the process.

The board comprises 17 directors: 12 Full Members, three directors representing the Associates, and the chairman (Khwaja is one of the Associate representatives as well as interim chair, currently), the ICC chief executive (Manu Sawhney) and an independent woman director in Indra Nooyi. The CEO does not have a vote and for any resolution to be approved, the ICC constitution currently requires a two-thirds majority, or a minimum of 11 votes.

Some members on the board, however, want to change to a simple majority both to pass any resolution as well as for the purposes of an election.

The constitution also calls for a secret ballot when it comes to electing a chairperson but, at least, one board member says the vast majority of the board has rejected this method.

With respect to directors’ voting rights, the ICC constitution says any decision taken “shall be decided on a show of hands . . .  unless two or more Voting Board Members present at the meeting request a secret ballot for the voting on a particular Resolution of Directors (in which case a secret ballot shall be held).”

Manohar was a popular choice and was elected for two terms, but the short group of contenders are finding it hard to earn similar trust from the wider section of the ICC Board. — Sports Reporter/Cricinfo.