Jay Shah has been appointed as the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global cricket administrative body.
He will follow Greg Barclay and will take over on December 1. The Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was chosen unopposed as no nominations were lodged against him.
Shah will be the ICC’s youngest leader at 35 years old. He will serve a three-year term, with the possibility of extending it to another three years. Shah will now have to step down from his position at the BCCI, which he has been holding since 2019.
The ICC stated that Shah was the single nominee for the chair, although it is understood that a handful of nominations were lodged on his behalf. According to the regulations, the nominations are filed by the 16 current directors, who propose his name. The candidate does not need to file the paperwork.
One of Shah’s most critical and immediate responsibilities is to recruit a new Independent Woman Director for the ICC. The position is empty after Indra Nooyi’s stint ended last month. Another significant task is to manage Disney Star‘s desire to renegotiate the huge $3 billion broadcast arrangement.
Shah stated his desire to expand cricket’s worldwide reach and appeal, particularly with its anticipated participation in the LA 2028 Olympics, which he sees as a critical chance for the sport’s growth.
On the development, Jay Shah said, “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.
“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.”