Jay Shah becomes youngest-ever ICC chairman, 5th Indian to hold post, vows to make ‘cricket more inclusive and popular’

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah will take over as the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in December after he emerged as the sole nominee for the high-profile job, the global governing body for cricket announced on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old will succeed incumbent chairman Greg Barclay, who decided against running for the post for a third consecutive term of two years. 

Jay Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship post in the ICC. 

“On August 20, it was announced that current ICC Chair Greg Barclay would not seek a third term and would step down at the conclusion of his tenure in November,” ICC said.

Notably, Jay Shah became the fifth Indian after the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to be elected for the high-profile job. He is also the youngest ICC chairman.

The ICC is the global governing body for cricket, with more than 100 members, and is responsible for staging global events such as the World Cup.

“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,” Jay Shah said in a statement issued by the ICC.

"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,” he added.

Jay Shah will step down from his role as the BCCC   secretary, a position he has held since 2019, during the board's annual general meeting scheduled for late next month or October.

Jay Shah is currently the head of ICC's most powerful sub-committee, the Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA), a role that he took over in 2022.