Former Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah officially took over as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council on Sunday.
Shah succeeded Greg Barclay, who held the position since November 2020. Immediately upon taking over the top post, he stated that his particular focus as ICC boss will be on working towards cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
'Shah expressed his vision to grow the global reach of the sport with a particular focus on the opportunity of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, whilst working in partnership with the ICC Members to capitalize on this moment for the sport,' said ICC in a media release.
Shah's first big task will be to resolve the ICC Champions Trophy deadlock. With India refusing to travel to Pakistan citing security issues, the ICC has asked Pakistan Cricket Board to accept the Hybrid model for hosting the event, which will see India play their matches in UAE or Sri Lanka.
While the PCB has told the ICC that it is willing to accept the Hybrid model for the Champions Trophy, it has asked the world body to allow the same arrangement for all ICC events to be held in India till 2031.
Bringing a wealth of cricket administration experience, Shah's journey began in 2009 at a district and state level, where he quickly rose through the ranks of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).
In 2019, Shah was elected as BCCI’s youngest-ever secretary, a role where he helped take Indian cricket to newer heights with key accomplishments such as record-breaking IPL media rights deal, creation of the Women’s Premier League, creation of new state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence, Test Cricket Incentive Scheme and more.
Shah has also played important roles in world cricket as the President of the Asian Cricket Council and as Chair of the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee.
"I am honoured to be starting in the role of ICC Chair and want to thank the ICC Directors and Member Boards for their support and trust in me to undertake this important role," said Shah.
"This is an exciting time for the sport as we build up to the LA28 Olympic Games and strive to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before. We also stand at a critical juncture in terms of the coexistence of multiple formats and accelerating the growth of the women’s game. There is huge potential for the game of cricket globally, with so much opportunity to engage with existing and new fans, while ensuring the best resources and platforms for our cricketers around the world."
