Jay Shah's meteoric rise and what his potential elevation to ICC chairman could mean

Aug. 22, 2024, 7:23 a.m.

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With Greg Barclay not extending his tenure as ICC chairman, there is intense speculation of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah filling in his boots at the sport’s governing body.

Whether Shah is interested in the job will be clear by August 27, the last date for filing nominations for the chairman’s post.

An ICC chairperson can serve a maximum of three two-year terms, and Barclay, a lawyer based in New Zealand, has already completed four years in the position.

Advertisement “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,” the ICC stated in a media release.

Jay Shah a strong candidate

As per ICC rules, there are 16 votes for the chairman’s election. A simple majority of nine votes is required (51%) to win. Earlier, to become the chairman, the incumbent needed to have two-thirds majority.

“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.”

Given India’s financial might, Shah is considered one of the most influential faces in the ICC board room. He is currently the head of ICC’s all-powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) sub-committee.

He enjoys a lot of goodwill with most of the 16 voting members.

Currently, Shah has another year left as the BCCI secretary before going on a mandatory “cooling off period” of three years from October 2025.

As per the BCCI constitution approved by the Supreme Court, an office bearer can stay for six before he needs to go for a cooling off of three years. In all, a person can stay in office for a cumulative period of 18 years, – nine in state association and nine in BCCI.

If Shah decides to transition to the ICC while still having a year left in his term as BCCI secretary, he would still have four years remaining with the BCCI.

If he enters the election and wins, he would become the youngest chairman in the history of the International Cricket Council at the age of 35.

Jay Shah’s meteoric rise

Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has risen through the ranks of cricket administration. His journey began in 2009 as a board member with the Central Board of Cricket, Ahmedabad. Now, he is poised to potentially become the ICC chairman, a position that seems almost inevitable, whether it happens now or later.

Shah's career in Indian cricket has been a meteoric rise, starting as a board member of the Central Board of Cricket in Ahmedabad (2009), then progressing to the state association and eventually assuming the highest level of responsibility.

Advertisement In 2013 he became Joint Secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). In 2015 he became the head of the finance and marketing committee with the BCCI and the chief secretary in 2019. In 2021 he became president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) with the possibility of leading the global organization in the future.

In 2019, Shah became the BCCI's representative at ICC meetings and subsequently chaired the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs committee.

His efforts were instrumental in advocating for cricket's inclusion in multi-sport events such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.

India’s growing clout under Shah

While not his baby, IPL has grown leaps and bounds in Jay Shah’s tenure at the BCCI. In 2017, Star India paid $2.55 billion for IPL’s television and digital rights for a five-year period.

The BCCI generated $6.2 billion in 2022 from the sale of IPL media rights for television and digital platforms, with Viacom18 and Disney Star securing the rights for the period from 2023 to 2027.

In 2023, Viacom18 secured both television and digital rights for all BCCI matches, paying Rs 67.8 crore per game until 2028.

India’s financial might was recognised last year by the ICC. At the Annual General Meeting in July 2023, the BCCI received a whopping 72 per cent hike in their share of ICC’s net annual earnings of $600 million dollars for the cycle between 2024 and 2027.

In essence, the Indian board will now secure an estimated $230 million, accounting for 38.5 per cent of the total revenue under the revised financial model for the upcoming cycle.

No other cricket board comes close to these figures. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) will generate relatively small percentages of 6.89 ($41 million) and 6.25 ($37.53 million) respectively. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ranks fourth, earning 5.75 per cent ($34.51 million) of the total revenue.

Prior to the changes, the BCCI had been receiving $46.7 million annually, representing 22.8 percent of the ICC's total net annual earnings, during the previous cycle from 2015 to 2023.

What Jay Shah’s rise could mean?

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. PTI While it remains unclear whether Jay Shah would actually compete for the chairmanship, historical precedent suggests that his potential leadership could lead to even greater achievements for Indian cricket.

When N Srinivasan helmed the ICC, the ‘Big Three’ model was born with India breaking the duopoly of England and Australian cricket boards.

In 2017, former ICC chairman Shashank Manohar aimed to establish a more lucrative revenue stream for India. A proposed agreement allocated $290 million to the BCCI over eight years, but the Indian board rejected it, threatening to boycott the Champions Trophy. Ultimately, the BCCI and ICC reached a compromise, settling on $405 million over eight years.

Expect more of the same if Jay Shah steps in. India’s cricket viewership and commercial growth continue unabated and IPL remains a steady product.

India had hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup and are due to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup, the next ambitious step would be to take the World Test Championship (WTC) final to India. It has so far been contested in Southampton and The Oval with Lord’s due to host it next year.

Previous Indian ICC chairmans

Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar are the only other Indians who have led the ICC in the past.

Dalmiya served as ICC president from 1997 to 2000. Sharad Pawar succeeded him in 2010 and held the position for two years.

In 2014, the ICC president’s position was made honorary and elevated the post of the chairman. BCCI president N Srinivasan became the first ICC chairman in June 2014. He remained in the job for one year before Shashank Manohar took over.

Manohar held the position for four years before stepping down in 2020.

Greg Barclay took office in 2020 after Imran Khawaja served as an interim president. The New Zealander continued in the role before deciding not to seek a third term.