All Eyes on Jay Shah as Deadline to File Nominations For ICC Chairman Ends Today

The deadline for International Cricket Council (ICC) Directors to file their nominations for the next Chair ends today and there are strong indications that BCCI secretary Jay Shah is likely to be elected unopposed for the top job.

There will be an election only if there are multiple nominations for the position and it looks highly unlikely at this stage. The global cricket body confirmed last week that current ICC Chair Greg Barclay will not stand for a third term and the new Chair will take charge from December 1.

“ICC Chair Greg Barclay confirmed to the Board that he will not stand for a third term and will step down from the post when his current tenure finishes at the end of November. Barclay was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020, before being re-elected in 2022.

“Current directors are now required to put forward nominations for the next Chair by 27 August 2024 and if there is more than one candidate, an election will be held with the term of the new Chair commencing on 1 December 2024,” read a media release.

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Shah currently heads the all-powerful Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee of the ICC and enjoys support of majority of the Directors. Powerful boards like Cricket Australia (CA) and England Cricket Board (ECB) are also on his side and there have been strong speculations of him taking charge as the ICC Chair for a long time now but the BCCI Secretary has been tight lipped on his plans.

If he decides to make the move, the 35-year-old will become the youngest ICC Chair. N Srinivasan, Shashank Manohar, Sharad Pawar and Jagmohan Dalmiya are other BCCI officials who have led the global cricket body in the past.

Winds of change

Lot of changes are expected in the ICC corridors in the coming months and first step has already been taken. The global body recently released an advertisement for Head of Events. Chris Tetley occupied the position but he resigned after a poor delivery of the 2024 T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies.

“We are currently looking for Head of Events to oversee the strategic planning, management, and execution of ICC events, ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals,” read the advertisement.

The ICC has already formed a three-member committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the delivery of the multi-nation event. Two top employees – Tetley and Marketing and Communication Head Claire Furlong – of the global body have already resigned after lengthy stints but it’s understood that they will remain under scrutiny pending enquiry.

After the World Cup, even broadcaster Disney Star is making attempts to renegotiate its deal with the ICC. The $3 billion contract started with the 2024 T20 World Cup and broadcaster is understood to be seeking a rebate after low-scoring fixtures due to poor pitches in New York, and also for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan. The dialogue between both parties is still underway and even current ICC Chair Barclay is involved.