BCCI secretary Jay Shah becomes youngster-ever ICC chairman, set to assume the role on December 1, 2024

India's Jay Shah was elected unopposed as the next independent chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The official announcement of the same was made by the apex council on its website on Tuesday, August 27.

Shah will succeed Greg Barclay, who opted out of a third term following the end of his tenure on November 30. Shah has been the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) secretary since 2019 and the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) since 2021.

Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship post. After being elected, the 35-year-old emphasized that his goal would be to make the sport of cricket more popular than ever.

Shah's statement read:

"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."

Jay Shah will assume the role of the ICC chairman on December 1. It is worth mentioning that he is the youngest ICC chairman in history.

---

"I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways" - Jay Shah on inclusion of cricket in Olympics 2028

In his statement, Jay Shah also highlighted that innovation and fresh thinking will play a vital role in helping cricket reach a wider audience. He also opined that the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics 2028 will benefit the sport significantly.

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 is the fifth Indian to head the ICC. The other four Indians who have occupied the top post in the council are Jagmohan Dalmiya (president), Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar.