The current leader of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Greg Barclay, has decided not to seek another term after his current term ends on November 30. This decision has led to questions about the future role of Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), within the ICC. It remains to be seen if Shah will consider running for the ICC chairman position, with the deadline for submitting nominations being August 27. The ICC chairman can serve up to three terms, each lasting two years, and Barclay, who is a lawyer from New Zealand, has already served for four years.
“ICC Chair Greg Barclay informed the Board that he will not be seeking a third term and will leave his position when his current term ends in November. Barclay was first appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020 and was re-elected in 2022,” the ICC announced in a press statement.
According to the International Cricket Council’s rules, the chairman’s election involves 16 votes, and the winner needs at least nine votes (which is 51% of the total). Before, the person who wanted to be chairman had to get two-thirds of the votes.
“Directors need to suggest candidates for the next chairman by August 27, 2024. If there is more than one person nominated, there will be an election, and the new chairman’s term will start on December 1, 2024.” Shah is seen as one of the most important people in the ICC’s board meetings. He is currently in charge of the ICC’s very important Finance and Commercial Affairs sub-committee.
He is well-liked by most of the 16 members who have the power to vote. Right now, Shah has one more year as the secretary of the BCCI before he has to take a required break of three years starting from October 2025.
According to the BCCI rules that were approved by the highest court in the country, a leader can serve for six years before needing to take a three-year break. Overall, a person can hold a position for a total of 18 years—nine years in a state association and nine years in the BCCI.
If Shah chooses to join the ICC with one year left as secretary, he will have four years remaining in the BCCI.
At the age of 35, he could become the youngest chairman ever in the ICC’s history.
Indian leaders like Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar have previously led the ICC.
