Shashank Manohar quits as ICC Chairman

Manohar was elected as the ICC's first independent chairman in May 2016 for a two-year term, and since then had fought to decentralise the power held by the Big Three of international cricket — BCCI, CA and ECB.

Manohar had taken over as the ICC top boss from N. Srinivasan.

The International Cricket Council on Wednesday said India's Shashank Manohar has resigned as its chairman after eight months at the helm of the game's world governing body.

"The ICC has confirmed it has received an email from Chairman Shashank Manohar tendering his resignation," the organisation said in a statement.

"The ICC Board will assess the situation and next steps before making a further announcement."

Manohar was unanimously chosen as the first independent ICC chairman last year for a two-year term and has been trying to bring in changes to the ICC's governance designed to reduce the power of the game's most powerful teams — India, Australia and England.

The 59-year-old, a former head of the Indian board, cited personal reasons in his letter to ICC chief executive David Richardson, according to the cricinfo website .

"I have tried to do my best and have tried to be fair and impartial in deciding matters in the functioning of the Board and in matters related to Member Boards along with the able support of all Directors," he wrote.

"However, for personal reasons it is not possible for me to hold the august office of ICC Chairman and hence I am tendering my resignation as Chairman with immediate effect."

India last month voted against a proposed shake-up of the ICC, fearing a curb of its earnings and clout as a result of the changes to the organisation's financial and governance structure.

Since India's emergence as the most powerful country in world cricket, the ICC has often been accused of failing to exert its independence on key issues of governance.

Many of the game's smaller Test-playing nations have been accused of bending to India's demands in the ICC, desperate to attract tours by India which can ensure its financial security by selling TV rights.

Manohar, who is a lawyer by profession, took over as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in October 2015 for a second stint after the death of veteran administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, before standing down in May 2016.

He became frustrated after coming under pressure to introduce reforms to the BCCI's governance recommended by a panel convened by the Supreme Court, including age limits for office-holders.