The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed New Zealand's Alan Isaac as its vice-president.
The New Zealand and Australian national cricket bodies, whose turn it was to put forward a candidate for the post, opted for Mr Isaac after their original nomination, former Australia Prime Minister John Howard, failed to get sufficient backing from the ICC board.
The ICC rejected Mr Howard, following a reported revolt by its leading African and Asian nations, on 1 July.
Sir John Anderson, the man Mr Howard beat for the original nomination and Mr Isaac's predecessor as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chairman, then ruled himself out.
Mr Isaac, an experienced cricket administrator and former captain of Wellington's 2nd XI, has been NZC chairman since 2008. An accountant by profession, he is also an ICC director.
He will hold the vice-presidency of cricket's global body from 2010-2012 before becoming its president in two years' time.
Mr Isaac, 58, says it is a great honour and privilege to be confirmed in the role, and denies he is walking into a minefield.
"Whilst the image that ICC has is not as good as it should be, in the experience that I've had that the process works pretty well and generally the right decisions are made," he told Morning Report.
