Melbourne, April 29: Cricket Australia on Tuesday regretted the unceremonious exit of International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed and said the job of administering cricket is becoming more challenging with the growth of the sport around the globe.

ICC effectively sacked Speed sending him on a paid leave till the end of his term in June. The reason was a "fundamental breakdown" in relationship between Speed and ICC top-brass over the controversial Zimbabwe issue.

"I note with regret that Malcolm Speed's distinguished career as an international cricket administrator has ended in the manner in which it has," CA Chairman Creagh O'Connor said in a statement.

"I have worked with Malcolm for many years during his time as Chief Executive Officer of the then Australian Cricket Board and, for the last seven years, as Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council," he added.

O'Connor said cricket is becoming a global sport and diverse interests are cropping up because of that.

"Cricket is becoming a genuinely global sport and will only have a long-term, sustainable future if the diverse interests within the game can put the game's interests ahead of any other interests," he said.

O'Connor said Speed's services would be missed.

"I know first-hand of the dispassionate, professional and diligent manner in which he has sought for cricket to achieve high standards of administrative excellence," he said.

The 59-year-old Speed wanted ICC to take some action against Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) after an independent forensic audit carried out by leading accountants KPMG raised questions about the state of ZC's finances.

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