What This Means for Indian Cricket With the Appointment of a New BCCI Secretary
The current secretary of the BCCI, at 35, will be the youngest ICC chair.
Greg Barclay has been replaced as the new ICC chair by Jay Shah, who was elected without opposition. On December 1, he will take on his new duties.
Shah is the newest secretary of the BCCI, having taken over the role at the age of 35. Following Barclay’s announcement to the board on August 27 that he would not be seeking a third term as ICC chair (he having served two terms starting in 2020), the board of directors had until August 27 to submit nominations for the next chair. Elections would only take place in the event if multiple candidates were nominated, but Shah was the only one.
“Being nominated to lead the International Cricket Council makes me feel humbled. Shah stated in an ICC statement, “I am dedicated to collaborating closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket. “At this pivotal moment, it is more crucial than ever to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge technology, strike a balance between the coexistence of many forms, and expose our major events to new international markets. Our objective is to increase cricket’s appeal and inclusivity beyond all previous levels.
“To increase the passion for cricket around the world, we must welcome innovation and new ideas while also building on the important lessons we have learnt. The fact that cricket will be competing in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 marks a pivotal moment in the history of the sport, and I have no doubt that it will advance in ways never seen before.”
Test cricket was highlighted by Shah in a BCCI statement, which also mentioned “allocating more resources to women’s cricket and differently-abled cricket.”
“I would also like to work towards setting up a separate program for talent search during my tenure, and I look forward to your support in this program,” Shah stated. “Even if the Twenty20 format is inherently thrilling, everyone should continue to prioritize Test cricket since it is the foundation of our sport. It is imperative that we ensure cricket players are motivated to play lengthier formats, and we will focus our efforts in this direction.
“I look forward to a term filled with teamwork as we work to remove the obstacles preventing cricket’s advancement. Every obstacle we encounter presents an opportunity, and working together, we can turn failure into success. Together, with our shared love of cricket and faith in its enormous potential, let’s set out on this amazing trip.
Following Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar, Shah is the fifth Indian to lead the ICC.
Shah started his career in cricket administration in the state of Gujarat in 2009. Since October 2019, he has served as the BCCI secretary. He joined the ICC’s powerful Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee in 2022, and in 2023 he assumed the role of chair. Shah was also re-elected in 2022 to serve as BCCI secretary, a position he held until 2025. He will have to resign from both the BCCI and the ICC’s F&CA committee once he assumes the role of ICC chair. In addition, Shah presided over the Asian Cricket Council from 2021 to 2024.
