Jay Shah takes over as the youngest ever ICC chairman

Mumbai: After ending his five-year stint as the Indian cricket board secretary, Jay Shah took over as the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman on Sunday. At 36, Shah becomes the youngest, and fifth Indian, to head the global sports body. (India's cricket chief Jay Shah takes over as ICC chairman. (AFP)

Shah was elected unopposed in August to take over from New Zealand’s Greg Barclay, who ended his four-year tenure. Shah’s elevation to the top post makes him the third Indian among the last four ICC chairmen. However, unlike the last two Indians – N Srinivasan (2014-15) and Shashank Manohar (2015-20) – Shah enjoys complete support within the all-powerful BCCI, which counts a lot when it comes to decision making in the ICC boardroom.

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Once Shah took over as BCCI secretary in 2019, India slowly regained lost ground in the ICC. The Indian board had played a prominent role in Barclay’s appointment. With Shah as the ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee head, BCCI was assessed as contributing 85 percent of the global body’s revenue, out of which it takes home 38.5 percent. India’s attractive broadcast landscape and an insatiable demand for cricket contributed heavily to cricket’s reintroduction in the Olympics beginning with Los Angeles 2028.

“I am deeply honoured. Cricket is a sport that unites millions across the globe and this is a moment of immense responsibility and opportunity,” Shah said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide.”

The wider cricket world will look at Shah to unlock new revenue generation opportunities for the 108 ICC members, including the 12 Test playing nations. Currently, the primary revenue source for the global body is the global white-ball tournaments for men that are played one event each annually.

A vexing issue during these tournaments is the India-Pakistan ties. The arch-rivals are unwilling to tour the other country for reasons other than cricket. The most immediate standoff is over next year’s Champions Trophy for which Pakistan Cricket Board has the hosting rights. India have refused to travel to Pakistan for the February-March tournament, and the matter is close to resolution with India’s matches likely to be played in the UAE. But Shah will have to tread carefully so that it does not remain a recurring problem.

The new ICC Chair would also have to adjudicate if the uneven distribution of Test matches outside the Big Three nations – India, England and Australia – should become the new normal or whether fresh life can be infused in the traditional format while T20 continues to gain currency. There have been discussions on creating a Test match fund and match fees for Test players from smaller boards, on which action is awaited.

“We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game,” Shah said. “Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights.”

The ICC chairman’s term now is three years. The post being an independent one, Shah will also step away from the Asian Cricket Council presidency.

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