I want to make a difference to the Associate countries – Palani

Palani Elected to ICC's Chief Executives Committee

Gurumurthy Palani, a 52-year-old chemical engineer from Annau University in Chennai, was elected as one of three new members to the ICC's Chief Executives Committee (CEC).

Palani polled the highest number of votes (28) in the election, the same as Anuraag Bhatnagar (Cricket Hong Kong, China). The other elected member was Gurdeep Klair (Cricket Canada).

"I want to make a difference to the Associate countries," Palani said after his election.

His manifesto focuses on making cricket the most popular sport globally through transparent administration and AI-driven fan engagement.

"The fundamental problem with the ICC used to be its top-down approach to decision-making. Members would often be informed only after a decision was made. But things are changing now. We're working to ensure that members are made aware of key issues before decisions are taken. Whether they approve or not is secondary – the point is, they'll know what's coming," Palani said.

Palani previously represented the Bahrain Cricket Federation and helped organize the ACC Men's U-16 West Zone Cup in 2023. Under his watch, Bahrain's global T20 ranking rose from 35 to 22.

He is also a founding member of the European Cricket Association, which he conceived with five members. Now the membership is close to 15. He is the vice-president of the body and chaired its first-ever meeting last year.