Jay Shah elected as new ICC chairman

Jay Shah has been elected as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He will be taking over the mantle from Greg Barclay and will be assuming charge on December 1st. The BCCI secretary was elected unopposed for the chair as no one filed a nomination against him.

Jay Shah will be the youngest head of the ICC at the age of 35 years. He will be holding a term of three years with an option of continuing for another three years. However, his election in the ICC means that he will have to vacate his secretary position in the BCCI which he has held since 2019.

One of Shah’s primary assignments after obtaining the position will be to find a new independent woman director for the ICC. Ever since the stepping down of Indra Nooyi last month, the position has been left vacant.

After getting nominated, Shah said in a presser, “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. 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."

He further added, “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."

The ICC also opened up on the election of Jay Shah, adding, “Shah's election marks a new chapter for the ICC as it seeks to expand the game's reach and continue its evolution on the global stage."