MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council has amended its management structure which would see the creation of a new post of chairman and water down the powers of president besides scrapping the post of vice-president altogether effective 2014.

Until the end of the 2014 ICC Annual Conference, the role of the ICC President will remain in its current form but from the end of the 2014 Annual Conference it will become ceremonial in nature with a term of only one year.

The term of office of the chairman will be two years. The ICC Board will appoint the chairman at its first meeting following the 2014 Annual Conference.

Meanwhile, Alan Isaac, the former chairman of New Zealand Cricket, was inaugurated as the eighth President of the ICC in succession to Sharad Pawar. Isaac will serve for a two-year term.

David Richardson was confirmed by the Conference as successor to Haroon Lorgat, who stood down after four years, as the ICC Chief Executive. Richardson, who played 42 Tests for South Africa, has been ICC?s GM- Cricket for the last 10 years.

Additionally, Russia and Hungary were confirmed as new affiliate members of the ICC but Switzerland was removed as an affiliate member, having been suspended at the 2011 Annual Conference for failing to comply with the ICC?s membership criteria and remaining unable to do so by the 2012 Annual Conference.

There are now 106 Members of the ICC.

MUMBAI: ESPN has appointed Arne Rees as vice president, international digital media as it seeks to expand the international reach of its digital media operations.

Rees will be based in New York and report to ESPN International EVP & MD Russell Wolff, and will oversee ESPN?s international digital growth and work with the company?s regional offices.

"Digital properties throughout ESPN?s international businesses continue to be a major priority and are key to our future growth. Our efforts online, with mobile devices and our vibrant broadband products all have significant momentum, and we will benefit from Arne?s digital, business development, and sports experience moving forward,"Wolff said in a statement.

Rees joined ESPN in 2006 as VP of international development, where he was involved in the development of its international broadband and wireless businesses. Most recently, he was VP, assistant to the president, working directly with George Bodenheimer, executive chairman of ESPN, Inc and former president of ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports.

Prior to ESPN, Rees spent five years as head of strategy and business development for the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) in Nyon, Switzerland. He has also worked as an investment consultant at UBS Capital and as the director of business development for I-D Media.