The International Cricket Council has asked its own ethics officer to look into alleged leaks from its governing board.
Thursday's scheduled board teleconference ended "with all agenda items deferred" until June 10 following a discussion, led by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, around the issue of confidentiality.
"A number of board members had raised their concerns over this issue recently and felt it required immediate attention to ensure the sanctity and confidentiality of board matters in line with the highest standards of governance," said an ICC statement.
It added there was "unanimous agreement" to immediately initiate an independent investigation led by the ICC's ethics officer, Peter Nicholson.
A former investigator with the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, Nicholson would be supported by "global experts," the ICC said.
ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney would update the board Nicholson's progress at the June 10 meeting.
As well as Manohar and Sawhney, the ICC board features the heads of each full member's national governing body and three associate member representatives.
The board also asked the ICC's management to continue talks with stakeholders in exploring various options in light of the "rapidly changing public health situation caused by the global pandemic".
That followed Wednesday's announcement by the ICC dismissing "inaccurate" reports that the men's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled to start in October, had been postponed because of the pandemic.
But the ICC added they were looking at contingencies.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Asif Hassan
