Jay Shah has emerged to become the next independent chair of the international cricket council (ICC). The board of control for cricket in India (BCCI) secretary was elected without anyone contesting, meaning he will take over from Greg Barclay who decided not to go for a third term.
Shah’s term of office will begin on December 1, 2024 when he will be the youngest ICC chairman ever at 35 years old. Following this announcement, some members of the cricket community took to social media platforms during which they expressed their excitement.
You can watch the reactions here:
Many congrats @JayShah bhai! I know world cricket will grow tremendously under your exceptional leadership! pic.twitter.com/4AubdEq8Cj
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 27, 2024
Congratulations @JayShah bhai on being elected as the youngest chairman of ICC. Look forward to seeing you take cricket to even greater heights. Your vision and drive will help ICC, just like it did with BCCI. 🤗 https://t.co/IxXWaSpP1b
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 27, 2024
A massive moment. My best wishes to @JayShah Sir on being elected as the new ICC chairman. May you grow to greater heights and continue doing fine work for our sport. Congratulations 🙏 pic.twitter.com/FOIXXpDf3y
— Mohammed Siraj (@mdsirajofficial) August 27, 2024
Congratulations @JayShah bhai. Your incredible vision and leadership will undoubtedly take cricket to new heights globally. 💪🙌 https://t.co/VrIr9WyDFQ
— K L Rahul (@klrahul) August 27, 2024
In response to Jay Shah’s appointment as the new ICC chairman, former India all-rounder and two-time World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh posted on X:
“Congratulations @JayShah on your new responsibility as #ICCChairman. I am confident that your leadership and vision will take international cricket to even greater heights. Wishing you the best and looking forward to seeing the game evolve even more in times to come.”
Congratulations to @JayShah Sir on his appointment as the ICC Chairman. Exciting times ahead! pic.twitter.com/uEPdIfznub
— Smriti Mandhana (@mandhana_smriti) August 27, 2024
“Congratulations to @JayShah Sir on his appointment as the ICC Chairman. Exciting times ahead!” commented Smriti Mandhana.
“You’ve been the driving factor at BCCI, With your vision & dreams, Cricket will continue to grow & thrive. Congratulations @JayShah on being the youngest @ICC chairman. Looking forward for Cricket’s New Era!” chimed in Dinesh Karthik.
Jay Shah assumed the position of Chairman of Apex Council; thus, he became the fifth Indian to assume this post. Additionally, he has been acting as BCCI secretary since 2019 and currently serves as ACC president as well since 2021.
“We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format”- Jay Shah views on the importance of Test cricket
Jay Shah, who was elected as the new ICC chairman, said in a statement that Test cricket should be given priority as it is the backbone of this game. Shah expressed that although T20 is an entertaining format, he will try to make sure that players are interested in Test matches too. Shah’s official statement released through BCCI said:
“While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game. We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelized towards this goal.”
It’s notable that Shah was appointed chairman of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee in 2023.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.