Manu Sawhney Named ICC's New CEO, To Take Over From David Richardson After World Cup

Manu Sawhney has been named as the new chief executive officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and will take over the reins from David Richardson following the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in July, the ICC announced on Tuesday. According to the ICC media release, Manu Sawhney's appointment was approved by the ICC Board following a global search and appointment process led by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar and the Nominations Committee. 

"I am delighted to confirm Manu's appointment today. He brings 22 years of outstanding commercial experience to the ICC and will lead the delivery of our new global growth strategy for the game. Our search produced a host of excellent candidates from around the world, but Manu stood out as the man to work with our Members and take cricket forward," Shashank Manohar stated.

"He has proven success in a number of leadership roles in both sport and broadcasting. He is a strategic thinker and understands the cricket landscape and its complexities. The decision of the Nominations Committee to recommend Manu to the Board was a unanimous one and I and my fellow directors are looking forward to working with him," he added.

Apart from his cricket commitments, Sawhney is also a non-executive director and member of the Audit Committee of Manchester United Ltd.

"It is a great privilege and responsibility to serve the global cricket community as CEO of the ICC. The sport has more than a billion fans and an ambitious growth strategy so it is a very exciting time to lead the organization," Sawhney said in the release.

Sawhney will join the office in February and will work along with outgoing CEO David Richardson to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.