Sub ContactsListView_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
  If ContactsListView.SelectedIndex >= 0 Then
    ViewState("SelectedKey") = ContactsListView.SelectedValue
  Else
    ViewState("SelectedKey") = Nothing
  End If
End Sub

Sub ContactsListView_DataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
  For i As Integer = 0 To ContactsListView.Items.Count - 1
    ' Ignore values that cannot be cast as integer.
    Try
      If Convert.ToInt32(ContactsListView.DataKeys(i).Value) = Convert.ToInt32(ViewState("SelectedKey")) Then _
        ContactsListView.SelectedIndex = i
    Catch
    End Try
  Next
End Sub

void ContactsListView_SelectedIndexChanged(Object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  if (ContactsListView.SelectedIndex >= 0)
    ViewState["SelectedKey"] = ContactsListView.SelectedValue;
  else
    ViewState["SelectedKey"] = null;
}

void ContactsListView_DataBound(Object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  for (int i = 0; i < ContactsListView.Items.Count; i++)
  {
    // Ignore values that cannot be cast as integer.
    try
    {
        if ((int)ContactsListView.DataKeys[i].Value == (int)ViewState["SelectedKey"])
            ContactsListView.SelectedIndex = i;
    }
    catch { }
  }
}