Jay Shah elected as ICC Chairman unopposed

The election to the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman ended as a damp squib with no contest as Jay Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, getting elected to the post unopposed.

“Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Shah, who has served as the BCCI Honorary Secretary since October 2019 and Chair of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021, will assume this prestigious role on December 1, 2024,” said a statement from the ICC.

“Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship after current Chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term.”

Shah’s election came on expected lines after it was reported by certain sections of the media that he had the support of England and Australia.

The 35-year-old will take charge from December 1, 2024.

His election comes at a time when ICC is seeking to stem the decline of Test cricket’s popularity. Already it has been reported in Australian media that Star, which holds the rights to broadcast ICC events in India, is seeking a sizeable reduction – almost by half -- in the 3 billion dollars they have paid for digital and TV rights.

If that happens, many of the Test nations outside of the big three will suffer a reduction in revenue as they depend on ICC money. The money to Associate nations could also get affected.

“I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah was quoted as saying in an ICC media release.

“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.”

He added, “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.”

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