Howard nominated to lead ICC

Sydney - Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a cricket lover seen at Test matches around the world, was on Tuesday set to lead the sport internationally from 2012 after winning the nomination for the job.

Howard, 70, said he was honoured and humbled to be Australia and New Zealand's candidate to take over the rotating International Cricket Council (ICC) presidency when it next becomes available.

"It will be not only a tremendous experience, but also quite a challenge," the self-confessed "cricket tragic" Howard told Sky News of joining the ICC.

"Because any international sport, and cricket is certainly that, has to I guess achieve a balance between preserving its traditional supporters and participants but also making sure that it gets a fair slice of a growing market. But I am very optimistic about its future."

Howard, the preferred candidate of Cricket Australia, won the nomination following months of debate between Australian and New Zealand cricket officials over who would be their joint candidate.

New Zealand had reportedly wanted to tap former New Zealand Cricket chairman John Anderson for the role which involves juggling the political and cultural considerations of 10 diverse cricketing nations.

The bodies ultimately asked business leader Rod Eddington, a former chief executive of British Airways, to act as an independent member on the selection committees each board formed.

"We are pleased that an eminent candidate in John Howard has agreed, after an exhaustive process, to take the role of joint Australia-New Zealand nominee for the ICC presidency," Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

"It was an extremely difficult decision and ultimately relied on the input of Sir Rod Eddington, whom both cricket boards respect enormously."

The joint statement noted that the ICC faced "significant and complex internal and external challenges in its quest for cricket to become a genuinely global sport."

Howard, Australia's prime minister from 1996 to 2007 whose only official position since losing power has been as director of the Bradman Foundation which honours the legendary Don Bradman, said it would be presumptuous to speak about the role of president ahead of his official appointment.

But he said finding a balance between all forms of the game would be a focus.

"Generally speaking, anybody who cares about the future of the game sees the continuing need to make sure that the different forms of the game flourish; Test cricket, one-day cricket and Twenty20," he said.

"They each have a role and there's room for all of them. There has to be room... for all three forms of the game and for all three forms to do extremely well."

The ICC presidency is a two-year rotating position currently held by England's David Morgan, who hands over to India's Sharad Pawar later this year.

It is expected that Howard will take on the ICC deputy presidency in July ahead of assuming full leadership in mid-2012.