Edinburgh: Long-serving International Cricket Council (ICC) Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja suffered a surprise defeat in the Associate Member Directors' elections held during the ICC Annual Conference on Wednesday, ending his tenure on the governing body's Board after years in senior leadership.
France's Gurumurthy Palani emerged as the top vote-getter with 35 votes, while UAE's Mubashir Usmani and Namibia's Dr. Rudie van Vuuren secured 26 votes each to claim the three available Associate Member seats on the 17-member ICC Board.
Khwaja, a veteran cricket administrator from Singapore, finished fourth with 23 votes, narrowly missing re-election. Malaysia's Mahinda Vallipuram received 19 votes.
In an official statement, the ICC confirmed that the three successful candidates will serve two-year terms as Associate Member Directors on the Board. While Palani and Van Vuuren join the ICC Board for the first time, Usmani retained his seat.
Palani's election will also lead to another administrative change, as he cannot simultaneously serve on the ICC Chief Executives' Committee and the Board. The ICC said an election will be held to fill his position on the Chief Executives' Committee.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah congratulated the newly elected directors and highlighted the growing role of Associate Members in expanding the game globally.
"I congratulate Gurumurthy Palani, Mubashshir Usmani and Dr Rudie van Vuuren on their election as Associate Member Directors to the ICC Board," Shah said.
"Associate Members play a vital role in the continued growth and global expansion of our sport, and I look forward to working closely with them as we build on the strong progress being made across all regions."
Shah also thanked Khwaja and Vallipuram for their long service to Associate cricket and their contribution to the ICC and the development of the global game.
Khwaja's defeat marks the end of a significant chapter in ICC administration. A lawyer by profession, he served as the ICC's interim chairman in 2020 and held the position of Deputy Chairman under successive ICC chairmen, including N. Srinivasan, Greg Barclay and Jay Shah.
He was also credited with playing a key role in behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), helping facilitate the successful staging of a high-profile Men's T20 World Cup match in Colombo.
Of the ICC's 45 Associate Members, 43 were eligible to vote, with USA Cricket and Cricket Canada remaining under suspension. Each voting member had three votes, resulting in a total of 129 votes cast.
With Khwaja's exit from the Board, the ICC will now appoint a new Deputy Chairman. One of the three newly elected Associate Member Directors is expected to be selected for the post before the four-day Annual Conference concludes on July 11.
The conference follows the gathering of ICC delegates at Lord's, where Australia won their seventh global title by lifting the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup.
With IANS inputs