Cricket: Key and Gillard back Howard's bid for ICC vice-president

Prime Minister John Key and his Australian counterpart threw their support behind John Howard yesterday after an International Cricket Council (ICC) snub which Key labelled a "shocking decision".

Key and new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard both weighed into the debate as Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) mull over their next move after the ICC gave them until August 31 to come up with a new candidate for the vice-presidency.

Howard, the joint nomination from New Zealand and Australia, was stymied at Wednesday's ICC executive board meeting in Singapore when six of the 10 test-playing nations reportedly signed a letter opposing him. Howard was labelled "a closet racist" in India's media yesterday.

"I think it's a shocking decision. I saw John on TV saying he's going to hold his ground and I think he should. He really could do the job and he could eat it up for breakfast," Key told Radio Sport.

Howard, 70, has bullishly refused to withdraw his nomination for the vice-presidency, which operates on a regional rotation and is usually rubber stamped at ICC board level. The candidate automatically graduates to the presidency after two years.

Said Key: "He (Howard) would be fantastic. I know John well, I met him on numerous occasions when I was leader of the opposition and as prime minister. I think he's been a tremendous leader of Australia, a great politician. He's a great administrator and he loves his cricket ... even if he can't bowl very well from what I've seen on TV."

India's Times Now television presenter Arnab Goswani came out on the front foot about Howard: "Why should a museum piece, a symbol of the black-white divide, dare or dream of entering world cricket?" he said.

Gillard meanwhile added her support for Howard.

"John Howard, passionate, passionate cricket fan. I share some of the concerns he's voiced publicly about the kind of factors that are influencing this decision," she said yesterday.

"I'd be very happy to offer full support for John Howard to get this role."

- NZPA