Allardice – pictured, left – first joined the ICC in 2012. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Geoff Allardice, has resigned from the position to “pursue new challenges.”

The New Zealander has been in the role permanently since November 2021, having first stepped in to take temporary charge in March of that year when his predecessor, Manu Sawhney, was suspended following a review into the organization’s culture which uncovered serious issues with his management style.

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The ICC has not yet made clear if Allardice will be leaving with immediate effect or whether he will wait until the end of the men's eight-team Champions Trophy in March. That national teams' tournament, held between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, is due to get underway on February 19, only three weeks away.

Overall, the departing CEO has worked at the ICC since 2012, first as general manager of cricket. Before joining, he worked across various administrative roles at Cricket Australia.

Allardice said: “It has been a privilege to serve as the chief executive of the International Cricket Council. I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC members.

“I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges. I am confident that cricket has exciting times ahead.”

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Allardice’s departure announcement comes soon after the ICC's new chair, India's Jay Shah (formerly secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India), took up that role. Shah took over from departing chair Greg Barclays on December 1.

Shah has also commented, saying: “On behalf of the ICC board, I want to sincerely thank Geoff for his leadership and commitment during his tenure as chief executive. His efforts have played a key role in advancing cricket globally. We are truly grateful for his service and wish him all the very best in his future endeavors.”

In its statement announcing his departure, the ICC said that its board will now “initiate the next steps” to find a successor for the 57-year-old Allardice.

Allardice's tenure has seen the creation of the World Test Championship league structure for test-playing nations, as well as cricket being placed onto the sporting program for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

He was also in charge when a first major ICC global event took place in the US last year – the men's Twenty20 World Cup – while early on in his tenure, the global organization had to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.