Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC Chair amid Champions Trophy deadlock
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
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday (December 1) said it is pleased to mark the start of the tenure of its new Chair, Jay Shah, "as a new chapter of global cricket begins".
His tenure began on December 1 amid the deadlock over the hosting of the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. It is still not clear whether the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed to ICC's suggestion of a hybrid model.
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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 capitalise on this moment for the sport.
Shah's journey
His journey began in 2009 at the district and state level, where he quickly rose through the ranks of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). In 2019, Shah was elected as Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) youngest-ever Honorary Secretary, a role in which he helped take Indian Cricket to newer heights with key accomplishments such as the record-breaking IPL media rights deal, creation of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), creation of new state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence, Test Cricket Incentive Scheme and more.
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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.
What Shah said
On his new innings, Shah said, “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.
“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.
“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 sustainably expand the game’s reach and evolution on the global stage.”
