Gavaskar quits as ICC cricket panel chief

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Sunil Gavaskar has resigned as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee chairman, the governing body said on Thursday.

"Mr Gavaskar confirmed his decision to the ICC on Wednesday, a day after chairing this year's meeting in Dubai," an ICC statement said.

The former India captain was asked to choose between his position with the ICC and his job as a paid media pundit after concerns about a conflict of interest.

The issue was discussed by the ICC board in March and Gavaskar was called for a meeting with then CEO Malcolm Speed.

Gavaskar, a popular television commentator, had described England and Australia as "dinosaurs, still trying to voice their prejudiced opinions in the media, and may not open their eyes and see the reality" in a syndicated column in March.

In January, he claimed white ICC match referee Mike Procter was biased against Indian players because of their skin colour, after the South African found spinner Harbhajan Singh guilty of racially abusing Andrew Symonds in the Sydney test.

Dave Richardson, ICC's acting CEO, praised Gavaskar.

"We are indebted to the work Sunil has put into his role," he said.

"He has brought his vast experience of the game to bear, not only over the eight years of his chairmanship but also the six years prior to that when he was a delegate on the same committee."