Sonn, 57, was admitted to the Durbanville Clinic in Cape Town on May 21 afterdeveloping complications from a colon surgery.
A former president of the South African Cricket Board, Sonn took over as ICCpresident from Ehsan Mani of Pakistan in June 2006.
His tenure, which was original to end in 2008, was extended till 2009 afterthe executive board had a split vote between Indian Board chief Sharad Pawar andECB head David Morgan last year.
"Percy (Sonn) was never afraid to speak his mind but his great skill,especially in meetings where discord was possible, was to do so in such a waythat he got everyone together and pulling in the same direction," ICC chiefexecutive officer Malcolm Speed said in a statement issued by the ICC.
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"Percy was utterly committed to the game at all levels and his mantraswere that the game had to be inclusive rather than exclusive and that it had tobe played the right way, to be true to the spirit of cricket."
Sonn's predecessor Mani said "As a cricket administrator and a man,Percy Sonn was a giant. In all the circles in which he moved, he commanded ahuge amount of respect and that was never more obvious than when he was in anICC board meeting.
"Percy never spoke for the sake of it but when he did speak peoplelistened. He was one of the most intelligent men I have ever met and cricketwill be much the poorer for his passing," Mani said.
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Sonn had the appointment for his colon operation seven months ago. Throughoutthe World Cup in the Caribbean he was aware of the surgery scheduled after thetournament.
The surgery went ahead with Sonn facing the prospect of further treatment butfollowing that surgery his condition deteriorated rapidly and he passed awaytoday.
Sonn is survived by his wife Sandra and three children - a daughter and twosons - as well as his mother, six brothers (two of them elder and four younger)and a sister.
Details of Sonn's funeral were yet to be known.
The process for choosing a new president of the ICC was that under theorganisation's Articles, the ICC board would appoint an acting president untilan election could be held, the ICC said.
Details of the form any election may take would be announced in due course,it added.
The ICC board, which meets three times a year, is made up of the followingdirectors, in addition to the president and chief executive officer Speed:
Full members: Creagh O'Connor (Australia), Abdul Aziz (Bangladesh), DavidMorgan (England), Sharad Pawar (India), Sir John Anderson (New Zealand), NasimAshraf (Pakistan), Jayantha Dharmadasa (Sri Lanka), Ray Mali (South Africa), KenGordon (West Indies), Peter Chingoka (Zimbabwe).
Associate members: Samir Inamdar (Kenya), Stanley Perlman (Israel), HRH TunkuImran (Malaysia).
PTI
