Former Indian leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has now joined Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as a players’ representative on the ICC cricket committee, replacing former Australian off-spinner and Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) chief executive, Tim May.

The ICC confirmed Sivaramakrishnan’s appointment in a release on Monday, saying, “Sangakkara and Sivaramakrishnan were recently elected by a vote of the 10 Test captains, and will serve on the Cricket Committee for a three-year term from 2013-15.”

Sivaramakrishnan, currently a cricket commentator, is learnt to have beaten May in a fiercely contested election that saw intense lobbying by both sides. Incidentally, though he has been elected as a players’ representative, India has no recognised players’ association.

The appointment was preceded by the head of South Africa’s players union’s recent allegation that Indian interests have forced a re-vote for the position of players’ representative.

The ICC cricket committee, headed by former Indian captain Anil Kumble, is to discuss cricket-playing matters and to make recommendations to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board that will meet at Lord’s during the annual conference week, from 25-29 June.