The International Cricket Council (ICC) appears to have taken a huge step forward in appointing a new chief executive with Haroon Lorgat, the former convenor of Cricket South Africa's selection committee, accepting an official offer to take up the job.

The offer was made on Wednesday evening during a "well-conducted" and "professional" meeting Lorgat had in Cape Town with David Morgan, the ICC's president-elect.

Morgan met Lorgat on behalf of the ICC’s four-man recruitment committee, which includes Ray Mali, the ICC president, Sharad Pawar, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Morgan's chosen successor, and Creagh O' Connor, the chairman of Cricket Australia.

However, Lorgat’s appointment is still some way away. Morgan will now report to the recruitment committee, which will have to agree on the preferred candidate and then make a recommendation to the ICC executive board to confirm the appointment as early as possible.

Lorgat will take over from Malcolm Speed, who steps down from the position after this year's ICC annual conference, which will take place between June 29 and July 4.

The ICC has been looking at an early resolution to the search for its next CEO after its earlier choice Imtiaz Patel, also from South Africa, declared on Sunday that he

had withdrawn interest in the job. Lorgat, who figured on the ICC's original shortlist of six, had told Cricinfo on Monday that he would consider any such offer as "a great honour".

Lorgat, 47, headed CSA’s selection committee for three years till the 2007 World Cup. A qualified chartered accountant -- whose roots, like Patel's, are in India -- and formerly a senior partner in Ernst & Young, he is currently on the board of Kapela Investments, a private venture he set up last year with five other associates.

Dave Richardson, (he former South Africa wicketkeeper and ICC's general manager, was the other significant candidate for the job after Patel pulled out. IS Bindra, the former BCCI president and a third name of note on the ICC's shortlist, has already been appointed the ICC's principal advisor.

AFP adds, Lorgat met ICC president Ray Mali and Morgan in Cape Town and said he expected an announcement from the world body by the weekend.

"We had a good meeting and I suppose it could be said that the ICC have made a proposition to me. I indicated my willingness to accept," said Lorgat.

He also served as treasurer of tiie United Cricket Board of South Africa before he was appointed convenor of selectors in 2004.

Lorgat said the ICC "needs to complete the process of appointing the next chief executive" but said he expected an announcement before the weekend.

"It is certainly a very exciting prospect for me," he added.