Clarke, who has been with the ECB for 12 years and became the body’s first President in 2015 having formerly been chairman for eight years, is weighing up whether to stand for the ICC chairmanship when the election takes place in June.

The 62-year-old will need to win a majority backing from the ICC’s 13 member Board, which is comprised of the 10 Test playing countries plus three associate members, if he is to be successful in following Shashank Manohar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) chief succeeded compatriot Narayanaswami Srinivasan after the country’s organisation named him as their representative in the ICC last year.

Should Clarke choose to enter the race to become chairman of world cricket’s governing body, he could be forced to relinquish his role with the ECB if proposed changes to the governance structure of the ICC are passed as expected.

Under new guidelines, any chairman of the organisation must not be affiliated to or hold a role within any of the member boards.

It follows Srinivasan being forced to stand down as the BCCI President in 2014 after the Supreme Court of India found him guilty of having a conflict of interest, with his India Cements company owning the Indian Premier League team the Chennai Super Kings.

The ICC are set to impose the new condition in a bid to avoid a repeat situation in the future as they look to clean up the way their organisation is run amid several world sporting bodies being engulfed in corruption scandals.

According to reports, the ICC will also debate how funds are distributed within the organisation, which has been a contentious issue in world cricket for many years.

Two years ago, England, Australia and India - considered the "big three" member associations in the sport - were given more power after the ICC voted through changes which saw them receive the majority of the sport's  income.

The problem is likely to be a concern for Clarke, who became ICC chairman in September 2007, and may scupper his bid as it could lead to a lack of support within the game.

Manohar chaired his first ICC meeting since taking over as head of the organisation in Dubai today.