Jay Shah elected as the Chairman of ICC (International Cricket Council)

Jay Shah was elected as Chairman of ICC (International Cricket Council) without any opposition. On December 1, 2024, Shah—the Chair of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021 and the BCCI Honorary Secretary since October 2019—will take on this esteemed position.

Following the decision of elected Chair Greg Barclay to give up a third term, Shah was the only candidate for the position of chairman.

After winning the election, Shah declared his intention to expand cricket’s appeal on a global scale, especially in light of the sport’s impending participation in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which he sees as a critical window of opportunity for the game’s development.

Shah said, “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chairman of ICC(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.”

“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.”

With Shah’s election, the ICC embarks on a new chapter in its efforts to broaden the game’s appeal and maintain its advancement on the international scene.

Following Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar, Shah is the fifth Indian to lead the ICC. Shah started his career in cricket administration in the state of Gujarat in 2009. Since October 2019, he has served as the BCCI secretary. He joined the ICC’s powerful Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee in 2022, and in 2023 he assumed the role of chairman of ICC. Shah was also re-elected in 2022 to serve as BCCI secretary, a position he held until 2025. He will have to resign from both the BCCI and the ICC’s F&CA committee once he assumes the role of ICC chairman. In addition, Shah presided over the Asian Cricket Council from 2021 to 2024.