Jay Shah becomes youngest ICC Chairman

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah becomes the youngest ICC Chairman. He has been elected unopposed as the Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

On August 20, Greg Barclay officially announced his ending tenure as the ICC chairperson. He started the ICC Chairman role in late 2020. In 2022, he was re-elected unopposed. His tenure will end in November 2024. 

Present directors could file nominations for the ICC Chairman role until August 27, 2024. According to the ICC, there would be an election if there were more than two candidates for the role. 

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Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman 

However, at the end of August 27, 2024, Jay Shah was the only nominee for the ICC Chairman role. So, he has been elected for the ICC Chairman role unopposed. 

Jay Shah will start his role as ICC Chairman on December 1, 2024. The 35-year-old has become the youngest ICC Chairman. However, he will start the ICC Chairman role at the age of 36 years. He will look to expand the game with more reach and popularity. His role becomes more important with cricket’s inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics.

Jay Shah officially stated, “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. 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.”

Shah added, “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.”

Jay Shah: Fifth Indian to become ICC Chairman

Jay Shah became the fifth Indian to take up the ICC Chairman role. The previous Indians to take up this role were Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar.  

The BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, is also holding the head post of the ICC's F&CA (Finance and Commercial Affairs) committee. However, he will need to step down from both roles before taking up the ICC Chairman role in December 2024.