Speed puts a brake in his career; To step down next year

Dubai, July 21 (UNI) ICC CEO Malcolm Speed has confirmed he will not seek an extension when his contract expires in June next year.

''That will conclude seven years (with the ICC) and I will not stay on longer than that,'' Speed said.

''He made a decision ages ago that he was not going to seek renewal of his contract,'' said an ICC spokesman.

''It has long been Malcolm's intention to retire at 60 and his current contract takes him a couple of months short of his 60th birthday,'' the official added.

The 58-year-old cricket administrator said he would return to Melbourne to either practise as a barrister or lecturer in sports law.

He told 'The Courier Mail' that he is leaving the game in good shape when finances are underpinned by an eight-year global sponsorship deal worth almost 2 billion dollar and hopes cricket can continue to grow, particularly in key areas such as China and the US.

''China is going well. We are in the second year of a 10-year progress.

''If we had China playing India in the 2015 World Cup we would have half the world's population engaged in a cricket game, which would be great,'' Speed said.

The ICC has grown from a staff of about 17 to more than 60 in his time, with member nations reaching 101 from just 47 in 1998.

Speed said dealing with the fate of strife-torn Zimbabwe was the most difficult issue he tackled in his stint as the head of the Governing body.

''The hardest issue we have had to deal with was Zimbabwe.

It is much more complicated to deal with than many people understand.

''I regret it has been so problematic. The country's problems have been reflected in its cricket administration,'' the ICC CEO added.

Speed headed the Australian cricket Board prior to taking over as ICC chief in 2001 from fellow Aussie Dave Richards.

During Speed's reign the ICC departed Lord's, the body's home for almost a century, to move to Dubai in 2005.

Recently he came under fire for the seemingly never-ending World Cup.

UNI