MUMBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas as the new ICC president. The announcement was made during the ongoing ICC Annual Conference week in Barbados.

Abbas who has already begun his one-year term, thanked the ICC board and the full council for confirming his nomination. He said, “I feel truly honored and humbled to be appointed as the president of the governing body of our great game. This is the sport which has given us friendship, respect, recognition and an opportunity to serve our countries in different capacities. Personally speaking, it has given me more than I can ever possibly repay.”

He further added, “I am thankful to all of you for the support and confidence placed in me by confirming my nomination. I am also grateful to the PCB for proposing my candidacy as the ICC president. I assure you all that I will stand shoulder to shoulder with all the ICC members as we continue to strive to inspire more and more people to fall in love with the game we cherish.”

ICC chairman N.Srinivasan said, “Zaheer’s outstanding career as a stylish right-handed batsman is reflected in his remarkable record with 108 first-class hundreds and more than 7,500 international runs. Zaheer is clearly an iconic cricketer who always played the game with skill, flair and in the true spirit. He is a worthy ambassador of our great game.”

Abbas, 67, played 78 Tests and 62 ODIs from 1969 to 1985 in which he scored 5,062 and 2,572 runs, respectively. He also played in the 1975, 1979 and 1983 ICC Cricket World Cups and captained Pakistan in 14 Tests and 13 ODIs. With 108 centuries, Abbas is the only Asian batsman to score a century of first-class centuries as he finished his 22-year career with 34,843 runs.

He was also an ICC match referee in the 1993 series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Sri Lanka.