Jay Shah becomes the youngest ICC chair
|| CF DESK ||
Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the new ICC chairman, succeeding Greg Barclay as he will take on his new responsibilities starting December 1. At 35 years old, Shah, who currently serves as the BCCI secretary, is the youngest person to ever hold this position.
Barclay, who had served as the ICC chair for two terms since 2020, informed the board that he would not be seeking a third term. The board of directors had until August 27 to submit nominations for the new chair. However, since Shah was the only nominee, no election was necessary.
"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 globalise 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,” Shah said in a statement.
"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."
Shah is the fifth Indian to head the ICC after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar.