Jay Shah has been elected the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He has become the boss of the ICC unopposed. Shah will take over as chairman on December 1. He will replace Greg Barclay. Shah will have to leave the post of BCCI secretary. He has revealed his target after becoming ICC chairman. He says that international cricket is currently at a critical juncture and co-existence of different formats is necessary. 35-year-old Shah emphasized on adopting new technologies besides organizing big tournaments in new global markets.
‘I want to enjoy cricket more…’
“I am overwhelmed to be named as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council. I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our Member States to make cricket more global. We are at a critical juncture where it is important to balance the co-existence of different formats, promote the adoption of advanced technology and introduce our major events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before,” Shah said in the release.
The suspense is over! Jay Shah becomes the new boss of ICC, creates history, know when will he take charge?
Mentioned Olympics 2028
The new chairman further said, “We will work on the valuable lessons learned but we must also adopt new thinking and innovation to increase the love for cricket around the world. The inclusion of our sport in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 is a turning point for the development of cricket and I am confident that it will take the sport forward in an unprecedented way.” Let us tell you that cricket will be played in T20 format in the Los Angeles Olympics. The inclusion of T20 cricket in the Olympics was announced in October last year.
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Focus will also remain on test cricket
Shah said in the statement, “I would also like to work towards starting a separate program for talent search during my tenure. I hope for your (board members) support for this program. T20 is naturally an exciting format but it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it is the basis of our game. We must ensure that cricketers are attracted to the longer format and our efforts will be directed towards this goal. “He further said, “We must advance the mission of the ICC by investing more resources and attention on women’s cricket and disabled cricket. Together, we can empower these essential aspects of the game. “
BCCI’s 75 percent contribution
BCCI is the richest cricket board. The Indian board contributes more than 75 percent of ICC’s revenue. Shah’s selection was decided when he presented his candidature. It is understood that one of the SENA Cricket Boards (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) proposed Shah’s name and one seconded it. Under the ICC constitution, a total of 17 votes are cast, out of which 12 are from full-time Test countries, chairman, vice chairman, representatives of two associate members and an independent female director.