- The Shah of India will take over as head of the ICC on December 1, 2024.
- Gregy Barclay is not interested in continuing as head of the ICC.
- Shah will become the youngest president of the ICC.
Jay Shah, the current honorary secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has been elected unopposed as the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket's governing body confirmed on Tuesday.
Shah has served as the honorary secretary of the BCCI since October 2019 and the president of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021.
He will take office on December 1, 2024, replacing Greg Barclay, who was elected in November 2020. Shah was the only candidate for president.
Shah previously claimed he had enough support to become the new ICC president after Barclay announced earlier this month that he would not continue his journey in his current role.
After being elected to the prestigious post, Shah said that his aim is to expand the global reach of cricket as cricket will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I am honoured by the nomination as President of the International Cricket Council,” Shah said.
“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member countries to continue to globalise cricket. We are 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 flagship events to new global markets. Our aim is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.”
“While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace new ideas and innovations to increase the love for cricket around the world. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 represents a significant turning point for the growth of cricket and I am confident it will propel the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”
Shah, whose current appointment as BCCI secretary is set to expire next year, will become the youngest president in the history of the ICC at the age of 35.
It is worth mentioning that Shah's appointment as the president of the world's apex cricket governing body comes at a time when there are doubts over India's participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be played in Pakistan in February-March next year.
