Indian cricket administrator Jay Shah on Sunday took charge as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with an immediate goal of ending the impasse surrounding the Champions Trophy and a broader vision of making cricket a commercially viable Olympic sport.
The 36-year-old Shah, who headlined the BCCI as its secretary for the last five years, is the fifth Indian and the youngest ever to head the global cricket body.
Before Shah, businessman late Jagmohan Dalmiya, politician Sharad Pawar, lawyer Shashank Manohar and industrialist N Srinivasan have all headed the world cricket body.
Shah, the son of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, will have his task cut out as the ICC looks to find an acceptable solution to implement the ‘Hybrid Model’ for the Champions Trophy originally scheduled in Pakistan.
Shah didn’t make any comment on the Champions Trophy while outlining his priorities for his term which included leveraging the sport’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as an opportunity and further accelerate the growth of the women’s game.
“This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide,” Shah said.
“We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights.”
