Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC Chair, outlines plans on Olympics & women’s cricket

Dubai: As he commences his tenure as Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday, Jay Shah has given an outline of his vision towards leveraging the sport’s presence in the Olympics and growing women’s cricket across the globe. Shah, 36, was elected unopposed as the new ICC Chairman to replace Greg Barclay, who has been at the helm since November 2020. He becomes the youngest person to hold the coveted spot, and is the fifth Indian to be ICC Chairman after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar. “I am honoured to take on the role of ICC Chair and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC Directors and Member Boards. 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. “We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. 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,” said Shah in an ICC statement. Shah’s journey in cricket administration began in 2009 from the Gujarat Cricket Association. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. In 2019, he became the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the youngest person to hold the post. He has also played important roles as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and as Chair of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee. In his time at the BCCI, Shah oversaw a record-breaking IPL media rights deal, creation of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), establishment and inauguration of a new state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and Test Cricket Incentive Scheme. “I would also like to thank Greg Barclay for his leadership in the role for the past four years and the milestones achieved during that period. I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and the member countries to expand the game’s reach and evolution on the global stage,” concluded Shah. –IANS