'Percy was highly respected'

2007-05-27 15:41

Leeds - England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairperson David Morgan paid tribute on Sunday to International Cricket Council (ICC) president Percy Sonn who died earlier in the day.

Morgan, who said Sonn was "highly respected as a cricket administrator", added he would miss the South African's friendship.

Sonn, 57, died on Sunday following complications from minor colon surgery.

"Percy Sonn has completed less than one year of his three-year term and international cricket has been robbed of his skilful and dedicated leadership by his sad and untimely passing," Morgan said.

"Mr Sonn has done a huge amount of good work in re-establishing cricket as a sport for all the people in South Africa throughout the apartheid years and afterwards," he added.

"And as president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, he did so much to ensure that the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was a success in Southern Africa."

"He was highly respected as a cricket administrator throughout Southern Africa and in the wider world as he established himself as the vice-president and subsequently the president of the International Cricket Council.

"On a personal note I shall miss Percy Sonn's friendship and inspirational support and our thoughts today are with his wife, Sandra, and the other members of his family."

The ICC said details of Sonn's funeral would be "made public as appropriate".

Morgan tied with India's Sharad Pawar in a recent vote to decide who should succeed Sonn. As a result the South African lawyer's initial two-year term in office had been extended to three years.

Sonn's death leaves cricket's global governing body without a leader.

The process for choosing a new president of the ICC is that under the organisation's articles its board will appoint an acting president until an election can be held.

The board is due to meet in London next month. Details for an election for a new president will be announced in due course, the ICC said.

- SAPA