The outgoing BCCI secretary Jay Shah took charge as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday, becoming the fifth Indian to head the global body.
36-year-old Shah, who has been the secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the last five years, was the unanimous choice of ICC’s Board of Directors and succeeds New Zealand attorney Greg Barclay.
In his inaugural statement as ICC Chair, Jay Shah outlined his vision, focusing on leveraging cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as a transformational opportunity and prioritising the growth of the women’s game.
Shah began his journey in administration back in 2009 when he was named as an executive board member of the Central Board of Cricket, Ahmedabad. In September 2013, Shah helped in building the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after becoming the joint secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).
In 2015, Shah entered the BCCI as a member of the finance and marketing committee. In 2019, he became the youngest at 31 to take over as the board secretary.
Shah’s first major achievement as BCCI secretary was the Eden Gardens in Kolkata hosting India’s first-ever Day-Test match against Bangladesh in November 2019.
In 2020 and 2021, when the world was reeling from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, Shah made sure that the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place with foreign players. In 2020, the United Arab Emirates hosted the IPL, while the 2021 edition was partly held in India and the Gulf country.
In 2022, under his leadership the BCCI took a major step towards gender equality by announcing a pay equity policy for contracted women players. Last year, he also spearheaded the formation of a women’s league (Women’s Premier League).
During his tenure, the BCCI also struck a major media rights deal of Rs 48,390 crore for five years. It made the IPL the second-most valued league in the globe in terms of per-match value.
Shah has also played important roles in world cricket as the President of the Asian Cricket Council and as Chair of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee.
Commenting on his appointment as ICC Chair, Shah said: “I am honoured to be starting in the role of ICC Chair and want to thank the ICC Directors and Member Boards for their support and trust in me to undertake this important role.”