The merits of Dubai, Malaysia, Monaco, Ireland, Switzerland and Singapore will all be mulled over at the executive board meeting in New Zealand.

The ICC was formed out of the Imperial Cricket Conference, founded at Lord's in northwest London in 1909.

Then in 1965 it was renamed the International Cricket Council.

It now has 10 full members the Test nations plus 79 associate and affiliate members.

Brendan McClements, the ICC's corporate affairs manager, told BBC Sport: "The ICC management were asked to prepare a paper looking at cricketing and commercial reasons for being in this country ry or other possible locations."

Many of the alternative destinations which will be assessed have favourable tax breaks over the United Kingdom.

Two other sporting bodies, FIFA, which runs international football, and the International Olympic Committee, are both based in Switzerland.

And the IAAF, the world athletics governing body, moved from London to Monaco in 1993.

ICC chiefs meet in Auckland from next Tuesday when England's autumn tour of Zimbabwe is also up for discussion.

England will make a final decision on whether to tour the African nation after the meeting.

McClements denied the view the ICC would feel more comfortable based at a different place to the England and Wales Cricket Board, whose stance over Zimbabwe is at odds with its own.

He added: "There are strong arguments for and against moving and the board needs to consider those arguments."

No final decision on the Lord's matter is expected to be made in Auckland.