Jay Shah’s rise as ICC chairman has so many connotations for world cricket

At 35, Jay Shah is ready to take over the reins of the prestigious ICC - International Cricket Council - unopposed. It was this website which first broke the news Jay Shah would take over from Greg Barclay on Tuesday evening.

How and why this has happened is not a debate really, since there were very few folks ready to come forward from Australia and England to head cricket's apex body, a powerful one.

Jay Shah s rise as ICC chairman has so many connotations for world cricket

Jay Shah set to be the new ICC chief, what does it mean?

For those who think the ICC is not as powerful as FIFA (football's world body) and other sports institutions like World Athletics, the ICC is gaining in currency for many reasons. In the good old days, the joke was, that few nations played cricket and it was not a global sport. Times have changed.

Since the advent of T20 as one of the most powerful formats in cricket, the game has become popular the world over. Proof of it was witnessed in the run-up to the ICC T20 World Cup where India emerged champions in the West Indies recently.

Well before the World Cup proper, how associate nations shaped up defined the popularity of cricket in the quickest format which is loved by fans. Yes, for old-timers who think Test cricket is pure and pristine, T20 is not so good.

But then, sport is defined by market forces as well, which is why even the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has decided that men's and women's cricket will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics programme. There are medals at stake for the men's and women's cricket teams in it.

Just to recall, when Jay Shah showed up at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a few heads turned. Some even wondered why he had come! Perhaps, he had his own meetings with the IOC and other bigwigs as cricket in the next Olympics is a big deal.

Back to Jay Shah the administrator, has already shown he is shrewd and a good businessman. As secretary of the BCCI (Indian Cricket Board) since 2019, he has become the most visible face. Then again, as President of the Asian Cricket Council as well, Jay Shah has done his bit in the last few years.

To borrow a cricket phrase, Jay Shah was on the "front foot" when pressing decisions had to be taken on the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as the Asia Cup during the dark days of the Covid pandemic. All that cannot be forgotten, as Jay Shah was seen prominently as an administrator doing his bit.

For all those who have followed cricket over the decades, India and the ICC leadership has been defined by the presence of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar.

It is well known when it comes to financial muscle, India wields enormous clout in world cricket. Even if you can recall the advertisement billboards in the USA and the West Indies, Indian brands featured in it prominently. It is also this strength why an Indian as head of the ICC seems very much in place.

The ICC role for Jay Shah is not going to be a challenge. He hails from Gujarat, has been a businessman and is the son of powerful Home Minister Amit Shah in the Indian Government. The younger Shah knows what the challenges are ahead, and finance is just one of them.

To preserve the ICC properties, in men's and women's cricket is important. And in the last two days, there has been 'bad' news from the ICC. The first was shifting the women's T20 World Cup out of Bangladesh due to political turmoil. The second was, the quality of poor 'drop-in' pitches in New York this June when it hosted an important match like India versus Pakistan.

Club versus country, mushrooming of T20 leagues the world over and ensuring cricket does not become pure commerce, so many things are at stake. Add to it the TV broadcast deals and digital rights and so on, Jay Shah will love the new role. He is described as astute and shrewd.

Few examples will suffice to show how much he has done for Indian cricket, at the national level, providing incentives to first-class cricket and harping on the importance of superstars making themselves available for the country. Jay Shah has also reached out to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli so majestically and backed them.

Last but not the least, the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025 and whether India will travel across the border or not, Jay Shah will be watched by hawk eyes. How he deals with this will be most defining. An acid test of sorts for Jay Shah, the next ICC chairman.