India's Jay Shah elected unopposed as ICC chairman

India's cricket chief Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it announced on Tuesday.

Shah, who has served as the BCCI honorary secretary since October 2019 and chair of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021, will assume this prestigious role on 1st December 2024.

At 35, Jay Shah is the youngest individual to be elected as the Independent Chair of the ICC.

Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship following the decision of the current Chair, Greg Barclay, not to seek a third term.

With Barclay stepping down, the ICC Board of Directors had until 27th August to submit nominations for the next chair. As Shah was the sole nominee, no election was required.

Read also: Jay Shah set to succeed Greg Barclay as ICC chair

Upon his election, Shah expressed his commitment to advancing the global reach and popularity of cricket, particularly in light of its upcoming inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics—a milestone he views as pivotal for the sport’s growth.

“I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah stated. “I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalise 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.”

He 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.”

Shah is the fifth Indian to lead the ICC, following in the footsteps of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar.

Barclay first assumed the role of ICC Chair in 2020 for a two-year term and was re-elected in November 2022 for another two years. During Barclay’s tenure, Shah joined the ICC's influential Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee in 2022 and became its chair in 2023.

Shah began his cricket administration career in Gujarat in 2009 and has been the BCCI Secretary since October 2019, with his re-election extending his tenure until 2025. However, once he takes over as ICC Chair, Shah will have to relinquish his positions at the BCCI and the ICC's F&CA committee.

He also served as the President of the Asian Cricket Council from 2021 to 2024.