Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC Chairman, sets Olympics and women’s cricket as priority

Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC Chairman, sets Olympics and women’s cricket as priority

A day after resigning as the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah has taken over as the chairperson of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body. While Shah was looking forward to expanding the game’s “reach and evolution on the global stage”, his exit may lead to an interesting six weeks in the BCCI corridors.

Shah’s elevation to the ICC was confirmed in August when he was stamped to be Greg Barclay’s successor as the ICC Chair from December 1. On Sunday, he assumed charge at the ICC headquarters in Dubai.

“This is an exciting time for the sport as we build up to the LA28 Olympic Games and strive to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before. We also stand at a critical juncture in terms of the coexistence of multiple formats and accelerating the growth of the women’s game,” Shah said in a statement released by the ICC.

“… I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and the Member countries to sustainably expand the game’s reach and evolution on the global stage.”

Shah’s immediate challenge will be to amicably resolve the Champions Trophy 2025 conundrum. With India declining to travel to Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during Friday’s emergent ICC Board meeting was presented with the option of adopting a hybrid model or hosting the tournament in a neutral venue.

With time running out, Shah will have to ensure that the Champions Trophy venue is decided in a manner in which no fingers are pointed at him for being partial to his home board.

Shah resigned on Saturday after being the BCCI secretary for five years. According to its rulebook, president Roger Binny will have to delegate the secretary’s powers to existing office-bearers until a fresh election is called “within 45 days”. Binny and joint secretary Devajit Saikia are likely to share the bulk of responsibilities.

It is understood that the election for the secretary’s post will have to be held on or before January 14, 2025. The ruling BCCI dispensation has so far been tightlipped about Shah’s successor.