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Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is reportedly the leading candidate to assume the role of Chairman at the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to a report on Cricbuzz, the decision rests entirely with Shah regarding whether he will accept the position.
The ICC is scheduled to convene for its Annual Conference in Colombo later this month, although discussions on the Chairman election are not expected at this time. The actual election for the Chairman is set to take place in November this year.
Greg Barclay, the current ICC Chairman, has served in the position for the past four years and is eligible for re-election. However, if Jay Shah decides to contest, it is likely he will be elected unopposed, given the apparent lack of other contenders.
Jay Shah has not yet indicated his interest in the position, but should he choose to pursue it, the opportunity is open to him. Recently, the ICC modified the tenure for the Chairman, changing it from three terms of two years each to two terms of three years each.
If elected as ICC Chairman, Jay Shah would serve a three-year term, after which he would be eligible to potentially become President of the BCCI in 2028. Currently serving as Secretary of the Indian cricket body, Shah has already made significant contributions to the sport in India.
Contrary to some international media reports suggesting a potential relocation of the ICC headquarters from Dubai to Mumbai under Shah’s leadership, Cricbuzz’s report indicates that such plans are not on his agenda. Instead, Shah is reportedly focused on reforming the ICC. He expressed dissatisfaction with the organization of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies, citing issues of chaos during the tournament.
Further details on the timeline for the Chairman election are expected to be formalized during the ICC’s upcoming annual conference.
The election for Associate Member Directors of the ICC will be held on July 19.
In addition to the developments concerning Jay Shah, it has been reported that the election for Associate Member Directors is scheduled for July 19. There are 11 candidates vying for three positions, with voting conducted by 45 Associate members across five zones: Africa, Americas, East Asia Pacific, Asia, and Europe.
As per the ICC: “Election will be conducted using an electronic voting system which allows for anonymous voting. In the event of the electronic system not working, the vote will be conducted as a manual vote by secret ballot. Voters will be asked to vote, in order of preference, for the three candidates they wish to vote for on the ballot.”
The ICC also states that if there is a tie between the candidates then they themselves will have to decide who should be appointed. However, if they fail to do so, a coin toss will decide the successful candidate.”
