Jay Shah Elected Unopposed as New ICC Chairman: A Look at His Predecessors in the Role

Jay Shah is all set to kick-start a new chapter of his career as he has been elected as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 35-year-old will take over the reins from Greg Barclay and will assume his role on December 1.

For the record, Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, was elected without any opposition because no one else filed a nomination against him in the first place. Moreover, he will also be the youngest person to lead the apex cricket body.

He is the fifth Indian to serve as chairman or president of the ICC. Before him, Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar have held this position. Jagmohan Dalmiya was the first Indian to be appointed as the ICC president.

He will operate as an ICC chairman for a three-year term, with the possibility of extending the role for another three years. Since taking on this new role, he will have to withdraw from his position as BCCI secretary, a role he has held since 2019.

The ICC also highlighted that Jay Shah was the only candidate nominated for the Chairman position. It was learnt that several nominations were submitted on his behalf. According to the rules, the 16 existing ICC directors nominate candidates and the candidate does not have to submit the nomination papers themselves.

As of now, Jay Shah's quick task is to find a new Independent Woman Director for the ICC because this position is currently vacant, as Indra Nooyi's term came to a close last month. Having a new Independent Woman Director will have a significant impact on the growth and development of women's cricket, including supporting initiatives to increase participation and enhance the conditions for women cricketers across the world.

On the other end of the spectrum, he also needs to address Disney Star's request to renegotiate the $3 billion broadcast deal. Furthermore, he must also make sure there is a smooth transition at the BCCI by finding an appropriate candidate for the secretary position. Finally, Jay Shah has shown a strong interest in broadening cricket's global appeal and popularity, especially with the sport's upcoming inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics. He views this as a great opportunity to boost cricket's growth worldwide.

ICC Chairman's before Jay Shah

1. Colin Cowdrey (England) - 1989-1993

2. Clyde Walcott (West Indies) - 1993-1997

3. Jagmohan Dalmiya (Indi) - 1997-2000

4. Malcolm Gray (Australia) - 2000-2003

5. Ehsan Mani (Pakistan) - 2003-2006

6. Percy Sonn (South Africa) - 2006-2007

7. Ray Mali (South Africa) - 2007-2008

8. David Morgan (England) - 2008-2010

9. Sharad Pawar (India) - 2010-2012

10. Alan Isaac (New Zealand) - 2012-2014

11. Mustafa Kamal (Bangladesh) - 2014-2015

12. Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan) - 2015-2016

13. Shashank Manohar (India) - 2016-2020

14. Imran Khwaja (Singapore) (Interim)-2020

15. Greg Barclay (New Zealand) - 2020-2024