CHENNAI: After days of speculations, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has been elected unopposed for the top post of the global cricketing body on Tuesday. Ever since the current International Cricket Council chair , there were indications that the BCCI secretary would be elevated to the post. On the last day of nomination, Shah remained the sole name supported by all ICC directors.
At 35, he will become the youngest to head the ICC when he assumes office on December 1, 2024. Currently the BCCI-appointed ICC director and also the chairperson of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs sub-committee, Shah will have to relinquish his other responsibilities, including the post of the BCCI secretary and Asian Cricket Council head when he takes charge later this year. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to ICC’s Member Boards for placing their trust in me to take over this prestigious role of the Chairman of the ICC.
I want to assure you that I will do everything possible to elevate the standard of our game across the globe. As I step into this pivotal role, I am resolutely committed to meeting your high expectations and dedicating myself to the beautiful game of cricket," Shah said in a statement on Tuesday. For someone who has been one of the most powerful figures in the cricketing world, Shah's ascendency to the ICC top post comes as no surprise.
Son of Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah, Jay took to cricket administration in 2009 with the Central Board of Cricket, Ahmedabad (CBCA). Soon, he was an executive with the Gujarat Cricket Association and eventually became joint secretary of the state cricketing body, of which Amit was the vice-president at the time, in 2013. The then chief minister of the state Narendra Modi was the president of GCA before becoming the Prime Minister in 2014.
In his time as secretary, the BCCI saw a ground-breaking sale of media rights for the Indian Premier League, which reiterated the market value Indian cricket holds, announced equal match-fee for India internationals across genders, launched franchise T20 league for the women, which, too, broke multiple ceilings in terms of media rights and sale of teams. Meanwhile, there were criticisms on the way some of the stakeholders — domestic players, ground staff and scorers — were treated, especially during the covid pandemic, and the scheduling of the 2023 ODI World Cup among other things. The financial juggernaut of India only grew stronger under Shah, making him the most influential person in the cricketing world.
As Shah leaves the BCCI to take over the global body, he will face a different set of challenges. There is a committee that has been appointed to review the operational budget and conduct of the recent T20 World Cup India won, and then there is the conflict with the broadcasters Star, who wants to renegotiate the initial deal ($3 billion) they made for telecasting of global events in India for 2024-27 cycle. But perhaps, the most important thing would be the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will be a crucial step towards globalisation of the sport.
“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalise 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," he said in a statement.
Since 2013, Shah's rise to the highest job in the sport is a well-documented chapter in itself. Come December, a new chapter, and perhaps the most important one in his administrative career, will begin..
.jpg)
