BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on Thursday welcomed Shashank Manohar unopposed election as International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman.Manohar, who stepped down as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, is the first to bag the post without any board affiliation. Congratulating the new chairman, Thakur said the BCCI will continue its co-operation with the ICC to develop the game globally."The BCCI welcomes the unopposed election of Shashank Manohar as the chairman of the ICC," Thakur said in a statement."Shashank Manohar's unanimous, unopposed election is a matter of pride for India. With his vast administrative experience he will provide leadership to the ICC to strengthen the position of cricket at the global level. The BCCI looks forward to working closely with the ICC for developing cricket," he added.Manohar, who will commence his two-year term with immediate effect also thanked the BCCI for its support."I also take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues in the BCCI who have supported me during my recent time as the BCCI's president," Manohar said in a statement after being elected."I look forward to working with all stakeholders to shape the future of cricket, which has a proud history and rich tradition. It is an honour to be elected as the chairman of the International Cricket Council and for that I am thankful to all the ICC directors who have put their faith and trust in my abilities. "These are exciting times for international cricket as we are presently carrying out a comprehensive review of the 2014 constitutional amendments which is aimed at not only improving governance structures, but cricket structures as well," Manohar said.
"The ultimate objective is to grow our sport and engage a whole new generation of fans and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to shape the future of cricket, which has a proud history and rich tradition."Manohar's second stint as the BCCI boss only lasted for seven months. He took over following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya in October 2015 and, by virtue of that position, has held the role of the ICC chief since then.He was elected the chairman following ICC Full Council's approval of constitutional amendments proposed by the Board following its April meeting that suggested the abolition of the post of president.According to the election process, ICC directors were each allowed to nominate one candidate, who had to be either a present or past director. Nominees with the support of two or more full member directors would have been eligible to contest the election, which was scheduled to have been concluded by May 23.Manohar was the sole nominee for the position and the ICC board unanimously supported his appointment. The election process was overseen by the independent Audit Committee chairman Adnan Zaidi. He declared the process complete, and Manohar the successful candidate.Manohar served his first stint as the BCCI president from 2008-11.