Sharad Pawar

Calcutta: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Sharad Pawar, doesn’t seem averse to reaching an “understanding” with David Morgan provided the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman agrees to an Asian as the chief executive once Australian Malcolm Speed’s contract ends next year.

Pawar and Morgan are locked in a battle over the biggest off-the-field prize — full-time president of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The term of the acting president, Ray Mali, gets over in June 2008.

A stalemate exists as neither has the support of seven of the 10 Test-playing nations. That’s a mandatory requirement. While Pawar is stuck on six, Morgan has the backing of just four.

Besides the Asian nations, Pawar is being supported by South Africa and Zimbabwe. Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies are backing Morgan.

According to The Telegraph’s sources in London, Pawar and Morgan should “definitely” have a one-on-one by Wednesday morning.

“Mr Pawar probably won’t mind waiting for two years as he will then be the president when the subcontinent hosts the World Cup (2011)... Morgan, however, has to agree on an Asian succeeding Speed,” explained one of the sources.

He added: “In fact, the four co-hosts of the next World Cup can only benefit if Pawar is the ICC president in the lead-up to and during that event... But, then, the Speed-issue has to be addressed.”

David Morgan

Clearly, Asia’s Big Four aren’t in a mood to accept a Morgan-Speed partnership.

If an arrangement is worked out, then Morgan is going to be elected vice-president later this week. That post will go to Pawar once the Englishman moves into the president’s chair.

As first reported in these columns, if an understanding can’t be reached between the two, then the option of the toss is very much there.

Meanwhile, it’s not confirmed, but one learns that the chief executives (who met on Sunday-Monday) have approved the cricket committee’s recommendation for a “free hit” in ODIs on the delivery after a foot-fault no ball.

Also, it appears they’ve okayed the proposal for a third fielder to be moved out of the circle during the second or third power-play. The limit, right now, is two.

The final say, though, rests with the ICC’s executive board. The cricket committee is headed by Sunil Gavaskar.