Cricket: Isaac under no illusions about challenge facing him at top of ICC

Alan Isaac. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Polishing the International Cricket Council's reputation is one of the big challenges for the man destined to head it in two years, Wellington businessman Alan Isaac.

The cricket world is not short of people who will figure that a laudable, if rather difficult goal, given the ICC's form down the years.

The soon-to-be ex-New Zealand Cricket chairman will begin a two-year term as vice-president of the ICC once resolutions circulating at its executive board and council are signed off.

Isaac will become president for a further two years around June-July 2012.

He is conscious the image of the world body is not all it could be. "I'd like to think in four years' time the reputation of the ICC will be enhanced for a world governing body of a very significant sport," he said.

"I don't believe it has a reputation as good as it could have."

He admitted there is a perception that the ICC "get it wrong" too often. But he maintained it is not that simple.

"Often no one has the right answer, so people who have the responsibility have to get on and make the best of all the information they've got."

Isaac said in some respects the ICC was no different from many other organisations, "and when you're sitting on the outside and haven't got all the facts, or have a particular reason for having a different decision made, you are always going to be criticised".

"Often there have to be some compromises as part of getting a more important decision agreed.

"That's just life. It's about being pragmatic," he added.

Middle-order batsman Isaac captained Wellington B for several years. The man known then as "Zac" had a reputation for being a determined, hardworking batsman, who knew his limitations, eschewed the flashy stuff and was an above-average senior club cricketer.

Now 58, he sits on a range of boards, including Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd, was chairman of KPMG for years.

When he speaks, it is considered, not rushed.

That should help, as he treads some delicate paths once he ascends to the top job after India's Sharad Pawar's two years are up. Among them will be keeping a disparate group of countries with different agendas heading in the same direction. One of the strong assumptions of ICC workings is that India, the financial heavyweights, play too loud a tune. Isaac has a different take.

"It's like anyone sitting round a club committee. You often have your own interests or views and you need to work through them to come to the right decision.

"Now the realities are that when the ICC sells its commercial rights, a large proportion of that value comes from the Indian market.

"In my 22 months at the ICC table, I've had no problems dealing with the Indians or any other countries."

There is a strong push for the Indian Premier League to have its own window in the Future Tours Programme from 2012.

But Isaac pointed out that it is not as simple as finding a hole in a calendar, the main one being the ICC's established pecking order.

It has ICC events - such as the World Cup, world T20 and Champions Trophy - at the top, followed in descending order by test series between countries; regional events, such as the Asia Cup; associate member series, World Cup qualifying, and additional events.

The pragmatist - not a word Isaac shies away from - in him acknowledged that ideally that cascade of priorities should happen to the IPL, too.

"It has a degree of support, interest and commercial value, and hooked to that is the Champions League, which full member countries participate in.

"ICC events are crucial for all members because of distributions that full and associates get from them. It's really important they are scheduled and take place.

Bi-lateral tours are also important because countries run their commercial activities off them."

But other countries' T20 competitions are charging over the horizon. They will want their slot, too, if the IPL is accorded favourable treatment.

Finding space for all the cricket that various interests want played is not easy. "Market research, and the view of administrators and players, is that it would be better if there was some context, but we're under pressure because of the volume and competing interests," he said.

Isaac backs the concept of a world test championship to give that context.

If that gets bedded in during his watch, it would be a decent feather in his cap.