It is sad that a simple business of the exercise of democratic rights of members should be so labeled. Actually, what the seven members, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe, did was to save the Australian representative the humiliation of being voted out, by turning down the nomination itself. It had been done before and it has been done now.

Once before India's Jagmohan Dalmiya was given a broad hint that he ought not to contest, but the highly influential administrator from India garnered enough support to get elected. One need not recall here how Dalmiya changed the very face of the International Cricket Council and made the world body cash rich in no time and, more importantly, paved the way for the globalization of cricket.

Howard's supporters, who make a feeble group, hit back by dubbing the move as racist. If anything, it was John Howard's racist outlook of the past that proved his undoing. He had supported the apartheid regime in South Africa and had wanted Zimbabwe thrown out of the ICC. He supported Cricket Australia when it humiliated Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and Lankan spinner Muralitharan by calling them "chuckers." So much for his love of cricket. It is but natural that a majority of countries do not want him to take over after Sharad Pawar's term is over. He had the support of only New Zealand and England. The criticism in these countries ran high with veiled charges of racism against what they called the "Afro-Asian" group. They also warned of a likely split in the ICC.

Similar rumblings had been heard some 40 years ago, when South Africa was thrown out of the ICC for its practice of apartheid. As it is, South Africa had been playing cricket only against "white" countries. Things had come to a head when South Africa refused to allow the England team to include a colored cricketer Basil D'Oliveira for a tour of that country. A major crisis had evolved. But the British government, backed by an overwhelming public opinion, hit back.

The English cricket administrators stuck to their guns and rather canceled the tour than drop D' Oliveira. The ICC then banned South Africa, which threatened to launch a rival body. The empty threat did not materialize, as any cricketer who had cricket contact with South Africa faced a life ban by ICC. After the downfall of the apartheid regime, South Africa returned to international cricket in 1991 In calmer moments, an angry John Howard has struck a conciliatory note, even though he has not given up his claims to the ICC post. But from where is he going to get his votes?