COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP):

Former Indian captain and star spin bowler Anil Kumble has been appointed as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council's cricket committee, which helps to draw up rules on playing issues, cricket's governing body said in a statement yesterday.

The ICC board also appointed former England captain Andrew Strauss, who recently retired, as a player representative on the committee.

Kumble replaces former West Indies captain and international match referee Clive Lloyd as chairman and Strauss replaces Ian Bishop, former West Indies fast bowler.

A leg-spinner, Kumble took 619 wickets in Test matches and 337 wickets in one-day internationals during his playing career. On retirement, he became an administrator with his state's cricket board.

"In Anil Kumble, we have a new chairman who has unquestioned experience not only as a player with India but also as an administrator with Karnataka State Cricket Association as well. I am sure that he will carry on Clive's good work and bring, like Andrew Strauss, contemporary thinking to the committee, and both understand clearly the issues facing the modern game, " ICC president Alan Isaac said in a statement. Strauss scored 7,037 runs in 100 Test matches for England and 4,205 in 127 one-day internationals.