India’s Jay Shah started his tenure as chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday, replacing New Zealander Greg Barclay, the governing body said in a press release.
The 35-year-old Shah, son of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home minister Amit Shah, is the youngest ever ICC chairman.
Shah, also president of the Asian Cricket Council, was the sole candidate for the role after Barclay decided not to seek a third term.
According to a press release issued by the ICC, the agency announced the start of Shah’s term, citing it as a “new chapter of global cricket”.
While quoting the powerful Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket, the press release said he was “honoured” to be starting in the role of ICC chair and thanked the directors and member boards for their support and trust.
’“This is an exciting time for the sport as we build up to the LA28 Olympic Games and strive to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before,” the press release quoted Shah as saying.
Shah said that cricket stood at a “critical juncture” in terms of the “coexistence of multiple formats and accelerating the growth of the women’s game”.
“There is huge potential for the game of cricket globally, with so much opportunity to engage with existing and new fans, while ensuring the best resources and platforms for our cricketers around the world,” Shah said.
He thanked Barclay for his “leadership in the role for the past four years and the milestones achieved during that period”, adding that he was looking forward to working closely with the team and member countries to “sustainably expand the game’s reach and evolution on the global stage.”
The appointment comes as Pakistan and India were in a deadlock regarding the venue of the ICC champions trophy scheduled in Pakistan.
The tournament, scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, has become embroiled in a dispute, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to send its team to Pakistan, citing political and security concerns, despite assurances from all member boards regarding the security arrangements and the tentative match schedule.
An online meeting convened by the ICC on Friday aimed at resolving the issue and announcing the match schedule lasted just 15 minutes due to the uncompromising stance of both the PCB and the BCCI.
However, according to a Dawn report, both boards have retracted from their earlier stance and have agreed to play their future matches in ICC tournaments on a hybrid model.
