Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the next independent chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Shah, the current BCCI secretary, will assume the role on December 1. Moving to the ICC means that the 35-year-old will have to vacate his BCCI post and it is learnt that Rohan Jaitley, the current Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president, and Ashish Shelar, the incumbent BCCI treasurer, are in the race to replace Shah in the cricket board.
Shah was the sole nominee for the ICC chairmanship after current chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term. He becomes the fifth Indian after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to be the head of the global body. Shah is also the youngest chair in the history of the ICC.
“I am humbled by the nomination as the chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah said via an ICC press release. “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.”
Shah has expressed his desire to widen the global reach and popularity of cricket and the game’s inclusion at the LA 2028 Olympics provides him with a big opportunity in this regard. “While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide,” he said. “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.”
Shah’s journey as a cricket administrator started in 2009, with him working at the district level for cricket development in Gujarat. He gradually moved to the state level and became an executive at the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). In 2013, he became the joint-secretary at the GCA.
As a GCA office-bearer, Shah stressed upon developing infrastructure and an overall upliftment of the standard of the game in the state. He made a significant contribution in redeveloping the Narendra Modi Stadium. In 2019, he became the BCCI secretary and the way he guided the cricket board in navigating through the Covid-19 challenge was laudable. Also, under his watch, the IPL became a global behemoth, boasting a media rights value of $6.2 billion. In January 2021, Shah was appointed as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). In 2023, he became the head of the ICC’s Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee.
As a cricket administrator, Shah has put a lot of emphasis on inclusivity. He has always been a strong advocate for the development of women’s cricket in India. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) was launched under his watch.
The 2025 Champions Trophy, however, would be a challenge for him. Pakistan is the tournament host, but it’s not yet certain if the BCCI will send the team there or will push for a hybrid model. Eyes will be on Shah, how he acts as the ICC chair.