Jay Shah has been confirmed as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to start on December 1, 2024. Shah will be only 35 years old when he assumes this important position, succeeding the outgoing chairman Greg Barclay, who decided not to run for the third term as the chairman of the board after serving four years on the post. Shah’s election was therefore unopposed, which is an indication of the influence that the man has over the ICC and the nations that are part of the chamber.
More significantly, the ICC Board has proposed a change in the term of office for its chair and independent director. If approved, this would let Shah hold two consecutive three-year terms instead of three two-year terms. This change will help to achieve more effective and stable leadership throughout the organization. The first term of Shah will also coincide with a mandatory standstill from his operations with BCCI and therefore will be able to effectively perform his new duties without any interference.
Shah has stated he wants to bring cricket to the world and ensure that cricket is included in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. He is aspiring to maintain all the formats of the game on the field, while he does not want to see the test format overshadowed by the T20 formats.
Also, at the recent ICC board meeting, there were proposals regarding the development of women’s cricket through the new T20 events and the new Futures Tour Programme for women’s cricket from 2025-2029. These are programs aimed at increasing competitive intensity among the smaller cricket-playing nations and to build up for the enlarged 2030 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Before assuming this role, Shah is ready to use all the experience and passion for cricket to bring positive changes in the sport. It is expected that his leadership will bring change to the ICC in terms of increasing and expanding the organisation’s membership.
