Jay Shah has been chosen unopposed as the new ICC chair, succeeding Greg Barclay. He will start his new job on December 1.
Shah, the current BCCI secretary, is 35 years old and the youngest to hold the position. Once Barclay, who had served as ICC head for two terms from 2020, indicated to the board that he would not be seeking a third term, the board of directors had until August 27 to submit nominations for the next chair.
An election would have occurred only if more than one candidate had been nominated, but Shah was the sole nominee.
"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 globalize 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.
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 said in a statement.
Shah is the fifth Indian to head the ICC after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar.
His appointment led to the BCCI sharing a congratulatory message on their social media handles.
“Congratulations to BCCI Honorary Secretary Mr. Jay Shah for being elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council. @jayshah,” BCCI’s post on X read.
Apart from this, several members of the Indian cricket fraternity also took to X and congratulated Jay Shah on becoming the ICC chairman.
Here are the posts: