Mumbai, Sep 21 (IANS): Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar has condoled the death of veteran cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, crediting him for breaking the stranglehold of first world countries on the game's world governing body.

Pawar, a long-time rival of Dalmiya in many a boardroom battle at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), took to social networking platform Twitter to express his grief at the BCCI chief's demise on Sunday evening.

"I am deeply saddened to know about the demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya. He will always be remembered as the first person from a third world country to hold the office of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is the highest governing body of world cricket," Pawar tweeted.

The 74-year-old also praised Dalmiya for making the BCCI the most powerful body in world cricket. "He made BCCI a powerful and influential cricket body in the field of sports. May his soul rest in eternal peace," Pawar stated.