ICC Board elections 2025: Khwaja loses as Palani, Usmani, Van Vuuren elected
Synopsis
Imran Khwaja — the man who brokered peace between the BCCI and PCB and served as interim ICC Chairman — has been voted off the ICC Board in Edinburgh. France's Gurumurthy Palani topped the poll with 35 votes, ending Khwaja's long run as the dominant associate-nation voice in cricket's corridors of power. A new Deputy Chairman must now be chosen before 11 July.
Key Takeaways
Imran Khwaja (Singapore), ICC Deputy Chairman, lost the Associate Member Directors' election on 8 July in Edinburgh , finishing fourth with 23 votes .
Gurumurthy Palani (France) topped the poll with 35 votes ; Mubashir Usmani (UAE) and Rudie van Vuuren (Namibia) each secured 26 votes .
The three winners fill seats on the 17-member ICC Board for a two-year term ; Usmani retained his seat while Palani and Van Vuuren are new entrants.
Only 43 of 45 eligible Associate Members voted — USA Cricket and Cricket Canada are under suspension.
The ICC must now appoint a new Deputy Chairman before the conclave ends on 11 July .
The conference was preceded by Australia winning their seventh Women's T20 World Cup title at Lord's .
Long-serving International Cricket Council (ICC) Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja suffered a shock defeat on 8 July in the Associate Member Directors' elections held on the sidelines of the ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh, marking one of the most significant upsets in recent cricket governance history.
France's Gurumurthy Palani topped the poll with 35 votes, while UAE's Mubashir Usmani and Namibia's Rudie van Vuuren secured 26 votes each, claiming the three available seats on the 17-member ICC Board for a two-year term. Khwaja, representing Singapore, finished fourth with 23 votes, while Malaysia's Mahinda Vallipuram polled only 19 votes.
Who Won and Who Lost
Palani and Van Vuuren enter the apex board for the first time, replacing Khwaja and Vallipuram. Usmani successfully retained his position. Of the 45 Associate Members eligible to vote, only 43 participated — USA Cricket and Cricket Canada remain under suspension and were barred from casting ballots. With each eligible member allowed three votes, a total of 129 votes were polled across the five candidates.
Who Is Imran Khwaja
Khwaja, a lawyer by profession, has been one of the most influential voices for associate nations at the ICC for years. He served as interim ICC Chairman in 2020 after Shashank Manohar vacated the post, and subsequently functioned as Deputy Chair under multiple chiefs — including N Srinivasan, Greg Barclay, and Jay Shah. He was widely credited with brokering the critical behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that enabled the high-stakes Men's T20 World Cup clash to proceed smoothly in Colombo. His exit ends a long and consequential chapter in associate cricket administration.
What Happens Next at the ICC
Khwaja's defeat creates an immediate vacancy at the top of the ICC structure. The board will now need to appoint a new Deputy Chairman, and one of the three newly elected Associate Directors is expected to be elevated to the role before the four-day conclave concludes on 11 July. The transition comes at a pivotal moment for associate cricket, with governance reforms and global expansion on the ICC's agenda.
Context: The Edinburgh Conclave
The Annual Conference was preceded by ICC delegates gathering at Lord's to witness Australia clinch their record-extending seventh global crown in the final of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup. The backdrop of a landmark women's cricket milestone added weight to an already consequential week for the sport's governing body. Notably, this is the first time in recent memory that the Associate Member election has produced such a decisive change at the Deputy Chairman level.
Point of View
Yet that did not translate into votes when it mattered. The entry of France and Namibia into the board reflects a broadening of associate cricket's geographic footprint, but the real question is whether the new cohort can wield the same institutional influence Khwaja accumulated over years. The Deputy Chairman appointment, which must happen before 11 July, will be the first test of the new power balance inside the ICC.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the ICC Associate Member Directors' election in Edinburgh?
France's Gurumurthy Palani, UAE's Mubashir Usmani, and Namibia's Rudie van Vuuren won the three available seats on the ICC Board on 8 July in Edinburgh. Palani topped the poll with 35 votes, while Usmani and Van Vuuren each received 26 votes.
Why did Imran Khwaja lose his ICC Board seat?
Khwaja finished fourth with 23 votes out of 129 total votes cast, falling short of the three available positions. The result was widely described as a shock given his long tenure as ICC Deputy Chairman and his influence in associate cricket governance.
What happens to the ICC Deputy Chairman role after Khwaja's defeat?
The ICC will need to appoint a new Deputy Chairman from among the newly elected Associate Directors. One of the three winners — Palani, Usmani, or Van Vuuren — is expected to be chosen for the role before the four-day conclave concludes on 11 July.
How many members voted in the ICC Associate Member Directors' election?
43 of the 45 eligible Associate Members voted, casting a total of 129 votes. USA Cricket and Cricket Canada were excluded from voting as they remain under suspension.
What is Imran Khwaja known for in cricket administration?
Khwaja, a Singapore-based lawyer, served as interim ICC Chairman in 2020 following Shashank Manohar's departure and as Deputy Chair under N Srinivasan, Greg Barclay, and Jay Shah. He is credited with facilitating the negotiations between the BCCI and PCB that allowed the Men's T20 World Cup India-Pakistan match to be held in Colombo.
