Howard Set to Fail in ICC Presidential Bid

The International Cricket Council (ICC) looks set to reject former Australian Prime Minister John Howard's bid to become its next Vice President.
The Associated Press reports that the world cricket's governing body rejection of John Howard's has "gutted" Cricket Australia (CA).
African and Asian blocs within the ICC yesterday dismissed Howard's candidacy without a vote.
CA Chairman Jack Clarke said no reason was given for the decision by the ICC's executive board after it met in Singapore.
Clarke said Australia's relationship with the ICC had suffered as a result of a decision which "was in the grand final" of ICC insults towards Australia.
Howard, who was Australian prime minister from March 1996 to December 2007, was "extremely disappointed and extremely upset" at the decision, Clarke said.
"What the genesis ... was, we don't know, that is one of the frustrating things apart from not having any reasons," Clarke said from Singapore.
"You hope it doesn't affect the relationship but it obviously puts a block there for a while and makes you wary."
Clarke said he was "gutted" at the decision, adding that he was âincredibly disappointed that a man of John Howard's stature has been knocked off for this job.
"If you keep having processes that don't work, or are not allowed to work, I am not too sure where they go from there."