Three new representatives were elected to represent Associate Member interests on the ICC's Chief Executives Committee (CEC) at the ICC annual conference this week, part of several changes to take place as a result, to some degree, of Ireland's application for Full Membership being accepted. Several Irishmen had served as Associate representatives on ICC committees but with their newfound Full Member status, they will maintain spots on the various meeting groups while opening up vacancies for fresh Associate representation.
The expiration of Warren Deutrom's two-year term as one of the three Associate representatives on the CEC coincided with Ireland's elevation to Test status, allowing him to stay on the committee. Fellow members Greg Campbell of Papua New Guinea and John Cribbin of Hong Kong have been replaced by Bermuda's Neil Speight and Botswana's Sumod Damodar, while the other spot in the Associate trio has been filled by Betty Timmer of the Netherlands.
Deutrom and Cribbin had both been on the CEC since at least 2007, while Campbell lasted just one term after replacing the UAE's David East in 2015. Timmer has already been a part of the ICC's Women's Committee as the Europe representative.
Bermuda's Speight had been a long-serving Associate representative on the main ICC Board before he was replaced by Ireland's Ross McCollum in a vote taken at the 2016 ICC annual conference in Edinburgh. McCollum had been selected to a two-year term along with Namibia's Francois Erasmus and Singapore's Imran Khwaja. Ireland's Full Membership, however, means a by-election for McCollum's Associate seat will take place at some point later this year, likely at the next ICC board meeting in October.
Like Deutrom, McCollum will still hold a place on the board by virtue of being the chairman of a Full Member country. But the Associate seat vacated by McCollum takes on increased significance after the ICC approved governance reforms in a new constitution, which now give each of the three Associate representatives voting rights. Prior to Thursday, Associate representatives attended board meetings in an observational capacity.
The one other spot that may also come up for review is on the ICC Cricket Committee. Ireland's Kevin O'Brien currently holds a place on the panel as the Associate representative, but may now be squeezed out due to his country's change in membership status. It is unknown when a replacement would be decided, but most likely by October as is the case with McCollum's vacancy.