Imtiaz Patel might not be new ICC boss
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The International Cricket Council's appointment of Imtiaz Patel as its next chief executive is "not a done deal" according to his current employers, the SuperSport television company in South Africa.
SuperSport spokesman Guy Hawthorne said: "Nothing has been formalised yet.
"It's a personal issue for Imtiaz but it is something the Multichoice [SuperSport's parent company] board will get involved in. They won't want to lose a man of his calibre."
Patel, 43, was not available to comment this morning.
The ICC announced from their Dubai headquarters on Monday that Patel was the preferred candidate to take over from Australian Malcolm Speed at the end of June.
Chief executive of SuperSport since 2005, Patel would bring wide experience of the high-finance world of television sports coverage after being involved in some of the biggest deals in South African sports history.advertisement
Patel joined SuperSport in 2000 after a stint as director of professional cricket with the United Cricket Board of South Africa.
He was thought to be the logical successor to Ali Bacher as chief executive but moved to the television company when he felt his path to the top job was being blocked. Gerald Majola subsequently was appointed to head South African cricket.
Under Patel's leadership, SuperSport, a subscription channel, acquired the rights to local football for $200 million over five years, and also local rugby matches until 2015.
Patel, a former school teacher and first league cricketer, has hands-on experience of administration in major sports through SuperSport's ownership of a professional soccer club and financial stakes in two professional rugby franchises and a cricket franchise.
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