The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani is of the view that the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) should not come from any of the "Big Three" boards.
The big three boards in the cricketing world are referred to – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA).
On July 1 this year, Shashank Manohar stepped down from the post of ICC chairman after twin two-year tenures at the helm. Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja has assumed the responsibilities of the chairperson until a successor is elected.
According to Mani, it would be "healthier" if someone from other board now leads the ICC because of the "politics introduced" by Big three.
"It's unfortunate it has taken so long," Mani said on the issue of delay in finalising the procedure for elections. "The politics introduced by Australia, England and India in 2014 to protect their positions - now they are struggling to unwind it because it doesn't suit them anymore.
"It would be healthier to have someone (the chairperson) not from the 'big three'," he added.
The PCB chairman, who served as ICC chairman from 2003 to 2006, however, ruled himself out as a candidate.
"There is a huge problem of conflict of interest on the board," Mani said. "I've never seen that before, not in 17 years. This sort of conflict of interest is not transparent. The ICC is crying out for more independent directors."
Earlier, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir had backed current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to put forward his candidature for the post of ICC chairman, saying it will be good for the country to have their representation in the top management of the ICC.