Shah takes over as new ICC chairman
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 Olympics 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.
He was the unanimous choice of the ICC’s Board of Directors and replaced New Zealand attorney Greg Barclay, who didn’t wish to continue for a third consecutive term. 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.
As of now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to accept the ‘Hybrid Model’ under which India play their matches in Dubai. But the PCB also wants the same courtesy to be accorded to Pakistan in all four ICC tournaments till 2031 that will be co-hosted or singularly hosted by the Indian cricket board. As the head of the global body and with less than 100 days left for the tournament, Shah will have to co-ordinate with both the PCB and his former colleagues at the BCCI for an “acceptable solution” in order to organise a hassle-free event.
