File photo of Jay Shah© BCCI
Jay Shah, the current honorary secretary of the BCCI, has been elected unopposed as the Independent Chair of the ICC, and will assume his position on 1 December, 2024. On August 20, it was announced that current ICC Chair Greg Barclay would not seek a third term and would step down at the conclusion of his tenure in November. Shah, who was the sole nominee for the chairmanship, emphasised his commitment to expanding the global reach and popularity of cricket, especially with its upcoming inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics.
“I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah stated.
“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket. We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.”
“While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”
For the unversed, Shah is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). However, he will now have to resign from that post before taking over the world cricket body.