Jay Shah is appointed as the new ICC Chairman (Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
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After years of speculation and apparent intrigue, the almighty Jay Shah has finally taken the reins of world cricket after being elected unopposed as chairman of the International Cricket Council.
As I have pointed out in recent months, the elevation of Shah, the sport's most influential administrator as head of India's wealthy governing body, was made inevitable by his intention to run for the ICC's top post.
Chairman Greg Barclay, realising the gravity of the situation and realising he could not compete with Shah's influence, decided not to seek a third term, and as I reported last month, veteran directors Imran Khwaja and Tavengwa Mukuruni decided not to run some time ago.
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Shah's father, Amit Shah, is India's home minister and right-hand man to nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah became secretary-general of India's cricket governing body in 2019 but is eligible to run for the body's presidency until 2028.
With the chairman's term changed from a maximum of three two-year terms to two three-year terms, his term will begin in December and run until the end of 2027. Shah, who turns 36 next month, will be the youngest chairman in the ICC's history.
Shah's term ends just before Los Angeles 2028, when cricket will return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 128 years, but the qualifying format, exact number of teams and venues for the men's and women's T20 tournaments remain unclear.
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“The inclusion of our sport in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games marks a watershed moment for the growth of cricket and we are confident it will propel the sport forward in unprecedented ways,” Shah said in a press release.
Shah will have to step down as India coach as the ICC chairman is considered an independent position and he will likely also have to step down as chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, a position he has held since 2021.
Jay Shah succeeds Greg Barclay as ICC Chairman (Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
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Shah's rise has been at least four years in the making. As I reported at the time, India was keen to regain control of the all-powerful ICC Board after previous chairman Shashank Manohar embarked on a more inclusive approach that would reduce some of the overwhelming influence of the increasingly hated “Big Three” of India, England and Australia.
India backed Barclay, whom Indian media called a “compromise candidate” at the time, in a split election in 2020, along with Khwaja, a Singaporean seeking to succeed Manohar as the country's first associate member. Khwaja does not have the vested interests that dog full membership, and Shah will now be the test.
Shah decided not to stand in the next election in 2022, leaving a clear path for Barclay to continue in his term after Mukuluni withdrew at the last minute, but Shah has steadily expanded his influence as head of the ICC's powerful finance and commerce committee and is on the working group shaping cricket's bid to return to the Olympics.
For Shah, whose heavy glasses, stocky build and neatly manicured hair make him an easy target for satire, it was something of an audition.
Jay Shah is the most powerful administrator in world cricket (Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
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But while Shah, the epitome of hardline politics, has ruled with an iron fist and the ICC will no doubt be moulded in his image, the more reserved Barclay has acted more like a caretaker while everyone waits for a cricketing great to take over.
Some perceived rivals have privately praised Mr. Shah's willingness to weigh in on the discussions, and some say he could unite a board that has often been divided by self-interest.
But there may also be a sense of helplessness as Shah has total power, and there are pessimistic views about whether he will push for a comprehensive approach as he was instrumental in giving India a chunk of the ICC's $3 billion media rights deal.
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Cricket is at a critical juncture with the proliferation of lucrative franchise leagues threatening to threaten international cricket's dominance.
While Shah has voiced his support for protecting Test cricket, there will be plenty of other issues to scrutinise, such as the plight of women's cricket in Afghanistan, and Barclay's critics felt he lacked the prestige to act.
After his long-awaited coronation, Shah will not be left wondering as a new era in world cricket is on the horizon.
