I really thought one photo would be enough on this issue, but I was wrong.
The ICC train wreck needs at least last look before we all go off and do something far more important, like shaving neighbourhood cats.
The Australian Mistake:
It was great thinking to pick John Howard over a better candidate with more experience in the field from a country that has never had an ICC president. Malcolm Speed said that this was a political move by the other countries to block Howard. Fuck me, what goes on in the Cricket Australia office if they think others were making a political move when they picked a politician? Cricket Australia out gunned New Zealand because they wanted a man who would shake things up and give them some muscle on the world stage. It backfired because the man they picked is pretty well despised everywhere. Officials in Australia are now saying that Howard was rejected because he was going to upset the apple cart of the dodgy bastards already in there. If that is true, think about how stupid Howard was for that job. Australia put up a man to upset people in the future who had already upset people in the past. It gave said dodgy bastards cover, didn’t it? Cricket Australia are saying how proper mad they are right now, well they should be, at their own general stupidity at thinking that Howard would ever get an easy ride. I said on twitter that Asia and Africa would try and block this from the moment Howard was announced, how could some bum like me sitting on my couch in London work this out when Cricket Australia couldn’t?
The Zimbabwean Mistake:
There is no way you can really be on Zimbabwe’s side here, because it means you are essentially on the side of a brutal crazy genocidal dictator. Zimbabwe seems to be getting better as a country over the last few years, but if they are going too get prickly with countries or world leaders who called Mugabe a fucktard they will spend more of their time being indignant than they will actually helping the country. There are now stories about Howard dissing Mandela and bring up his previous voting records on Apartheid, that is all retro fitting nonsense, Zimbabwe’s problem was Howard getting involved in the tour that Stuart MacGill essentially cancelled by not going. South Africa jumped on board because that is what voting blocs do.
The everyone else mistake:
I could not think of a human being I want less involved in cricket than John Howard, and my list includes Gary Glitter, Delta Goodrem, Dubya Bush and Kim Jong-Il. That said, two cricket nations had the choice of picking their candidate for the job, and they picked the man. From there he should have been vetted by all parties, given a chance to state his case and then had his ass kicked out. This was a witch-hunt. And not even a fun witch-hunt where various cricket boards dunked him in water to see if he floated. It was a rumour and bullshit exercise. The explanation given was by Haroon Lorgat, “The ICC Board does not have to give reasons”. The ICC also does not have to function properly, but we’d like them too. Then Pawar said, “There are no political connotations to this decision.” It takes guts to say a line like that. If, like those angry Australians are saying, that this was a move to make sure that Australia did not get too much power and upset the already shady balance of power in the ICC, then we are all lucky that the ICC is such a shambolic group so that it can never use its evil powers to full effect.
The John Howard mistake:
Getting involved in the first place. He had to know that at best this was going to be more shit than he needed after getting out of politics at 70, and at worst another embarrassing loss in an election. I’ve never truly understood John Howard, he is some Political rodent who seems to need to be in the game at all times. He was Australia’s second longest serving prime minister, surely he should be sitting around jacking him self off to that, instead he feels the need to go from the shit storm of Australian politics to the brain fuckery of the United Nations of cricket. Now, after getting shafted royally he has decided to stay on. He is like one of those annoying opening batsmen who are 43 not out in the second innings after following on 300 runs behind. His side are 8 wickets down, but he won’t hit out and make it exciting, instead, even though he can’t win the game or make a hundred, he is going to sit around and just annoy everyone watching.
Perhaps the ICC would work better without a President. The new president is part time, lets make the next one, casual, and the one after that a pot plant.
No one can object to a pot plant running the ICC, it feels like that has been happening for years anyway.
Kim Jong Il as ICC VP. That’d be a stroke of genius! Before long he’d be playing the game himself and North Korea would have the World T20, World Cup and the recently announced King of the Word (Cricket) titles. He’d make W.G. Grace look like a nun, Darryl Harper would be shot and the honour rolls at Lord would read ‘Kim J.I.’ in every place.
They can get away with the suspect voice as it’s on SBS so it’s ‘ironic’ racism.
What if they can’t agree on what country the plant comes from?
I would still prefer him over Pawar. To me Howard looks like a prick at best. Pawar is downright evil.
May be I say this because I don’t know Howard as well as I know Pawar. But atleast Howard is not an acting minister. But Mr Incredible here is a member of parliament and agriculture minister already and he still has time to run one of the most messed up sports bodies of the world.
But surely there are no “political connotations” to this. He is just here for the love of the game.
hahaha my comments didn’t appear on cricinfo
Its pure business/market decision by Subcontinents. BCCI has followed little brothers (Bangla, Lankans and Pakistan) and middle brothers (SA) since next few world cups are going to be played in subcontinent.
Aus. could have easily choose Nzlander and some one decent Aussy bloke, but they didn’t , which could be the biggest bluff in Cricket Administrative history. Now CA have full license and reason to boycott BCCI easily for future FTP. Its a poker bluff. :D
BCCI approved 11 test matches so poms’ journalist brigade can’t even argue that BCCI is killing test cricket. hahaha
Cricket is probably only sport where you don’t need to have White men as a head to do business, you need either brown/black to bring in product selling hahaha *Kachin*
Its so simple to understand, I don’t know why people are so surprise by this rejection. Again as I said before and saying again. Its just “Cock-bloke phenomena”, have you ever seen Male Bull fight on discovery channel !! or Male Gorilla fighting !! well this is similar without physical touching.
I just hope that poor cricket / cricketers aren’t sandwitched in this tussle.
It’s just wrong that Jrod gives the most relevant and honest commentaries on this issue. Even his ICC WIN commentary made more sense than Gideon Haighs self righteous bollocks.
Why John Howard.. Why Pawar.. ICC is a joke anyways.. we need jokers in charge ( I think that’s the reason for Pawar / Howards being around).. Modi is looking out for a job, he’d be a good one for VP…but i think we need someone who is competely clueless.. GEORGE BUSH Jr fits the bill.. but we’ll have to give him ICC presidency, can’t make him a VP..
Knowledge eater, I don’t think many people are surprised by this apart from CA. And I suspect they aren’t either for all the jumping up and down and ‘do you mind!’ and ‘well, I never’.
Howard is loving it. He just wants attention and like an abused child, it doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad attention, poor love.
If I was ICC member or head, I would cancel all 2020 Country vs country random world cup, make WPL (larger CTL20), cancel ODI-Chmpions trophy, cancel triangular crap. and
fix proper schedule when certain country visit certain country according to weather schedule
3 test 3 odi period.
but hey what do I know, thousands of people are feeding their child and themselves even with this current flooded Cricket schedule. With increase bloody gas price and inflation, some people have no idea how world economy run with increase human growth. Fuck me I have been biggest stalker of CWB lately … i need to get back to study, otherwise I am goona drown in this Cricket horniness. Will be back soon. Jrod Take care, be safe.
I think the South Asian boards are avoiding giving reasons for rejecting Howard due to diplomatic reasons. Since Howard is a politician who has served as the head of state of Australia, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis and Indians are reluctant to bluntly state that they consider Howard a racist and an —hole, which he indeed is. It’s funny that Howard and his supporters are complaining about not being told the reasons for his rejection. Do they want to hear it explicitly?
The problem is not just Zimbabwe. For the Sri Lankans, it makes no sense to endorse Howard after his remarks about Murali’s bowling action (you would think a Prime Minister would have the political sense not to act like a lose canon by making such a statement). Likewise, the Pakistanis have a good reason for opposing Howard because of his support of Darrel Hair when he accused the Pakistani team of ball tampering without having any evidence to back it up. Then there are things Howard has done in his political career due to which he is widely seen as a racist, though many white Australians fail to get it. The Murali statement and Hair incident are also good enough reasons for India and Bangladesh to reject Howard, because tomorrow they could be at the receiving end too.
Australian indignation about Indian domination of cricket is also a little hypocritical. Though personally I believe no single country should have the power to dictate terms, and for that reason India’s current position is not good for world cricket. But to the Australians, one can’t help reminding that there was a time when they and Britain totally dominated the ICC in the same manner. Not to mention the centuries of colonialism that non-whites have suffered through. It suddenly starts to hurt when you’re at the receiving end, doesn’t it?
Am I missing something, or *why* did India, Bangladesh and South Africa oppose his nomination again?
We need better looking ICC President’s. Sharad Pawar and Howard are too damn ugly. I’d go for Zooey Deschanel. I’d accept Natalie Portman as well of course.
I hear Kevin Rudd is looking for a job…?
Tait should be the new ICC president :(
I must say respect to the many defenders of the BCCI for so openly stating that this all about restoring indian pride because even chinese bloggers at least try to deny the opium war hatred of the old colonial powers. Seriously though Howard was the the worst kind of cunt. he wasnt racist he was worse. he understood the fears of the ignorant and played to them. he practically owned every single divisive issue in australia and ball gripped the scared… it was also effective as shit. the “man” also loves test cricket. jrod would you reconsider your position if from now on only asian bloc puppets are elected, any chance of a test championship dies and the future tours program resembles a year round 20/20 fest?i know hes a cunt but maybe on this one he may have been test crickets cunt.
I see, Peghalite, let me get this right — “he understood the fears of the ignorant and played to them. he practically owned every single divisive issue in australia and ball gripped the scared…” But you’d still rather have him because “on this one he may have been test crickets cunt”. Pardon my French, but what unbelievable bullshit. Test cricket can go fuck itself if it needs John Howard to speak for its survival.
It’s also a bit precious of CA and the Gideon Haighs of the world to go on about there being no reason why their candidate was rejected, and how it was an insult to an ex-PM of Australia. Blow me. It matters not a fuck to the rest of the world if Australians elected an asshole like Howard back to power twice or ten times. Don’t foist your mistakes onto everyone else. The VP position is guaranteed to CA/NZ. Surely there must one one career incompetent like Pawar around in either county? All Aus/NZ has to do is nominate some other cunt of a career politician, one who isn’t a racist, and they’ll get the votes they need.