As Jay Shah, the current secretary of the BCCI, has been elected as the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), there was a moment of immense pride and celebration in the Indian cricket fraternity. His leadership and vision are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of international cricket globally. 

This achievement continues to mark India’s dominance in global cricket, following the previous influential figures who have also served as the President of the ICC. These include Jagmohan Dalmiya, who served as the ICC President from 1997 to 2000, Shashank Manohar, who served as the ICC Chairman in 2015 and then again in 2018. 

Notably, Shah will assume his office from December 1, 2024. His appointment comes out of a third term, after the announcement of Greg Barclay—the current ICC Chair/President—last week, who will step down from his tenure in November 2024. 

First Indian to become ICC’s Chair at 35 

Shah’s appointment has also created a history, making him the first youngest Indian ICC’s chairman. 

Jay Shah emphasized the ICC’s mission to enhance women’s cricket and differently abled cricket globally. 

“We must champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to women’s cricket and differently abled cricket. Together, we can empower these essential facets of the sport, making them not just visible but vibrant and thriving,” he said in a statement. 

“With cricket poised to make its historic debut at the Olympics in 2028, we stand at the precipice of a transformative era. This juncture is not merely a milestone, it’s a clarion call for all of us involved in this magnificent sport. It is my privilege to lead the ICC during such an exciting period in our shared journey,” Shah further added. 

Jay Shah becomes 5^th Indian to head ICC 

Additionally, Jay Shah will be the 5^th Indian to head the ICC, who joined this elite list with Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar as the Indians who have headed the ICC. 

Jay Shah’s Tenure as BCCI Secretary 

In 2019, he was elected as the BCCI Secretary for the first time, and in 2022, he was then re-elected as BCCI’s secretary till 2025. During his tenure, India has attained significant heights in cricket globally. 

While he also faced backlashes at times, he did many things that helped Team India grow massively in the world of cricket. Now that he will step down from his position as BCCI Secretary and take over the position of ICC Chairman, all eyes will surely be pinned on him. 

Jay Shah’s Achievements as BCCI Secretary 

• He played a crucial role in launching the WPL in 2023, which had two successful seasons. 

• In 2022, he announced equal pay for male and female cricketers, ensuring both received the same match fee. 

• Under his leadership, the BCCI increased the monthly pensions for former cricketers and umpires. 

• Jay Shah introduced a scheme to incentivize players to participate in more test matches, aligning their earnings from other formats. 

• He successfully managed to keep cricket activities such as IPL running during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 21.