Directors of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have until today to submit their nominations for the next Chair, and all signs point to BCCI secretary Jay Shah winning the position without any opposition.
Only if there are several nominations for the post—which at this point seems extremely unlikely—will there be an election. The International Cricket Organization announced last week that Greg Barclay, the current Chair of the ICC, will not seek reelection for a third term. The new Chair will assume office on December 1.
“ICC Chair Greg Barclay informed the Board that, upon the expiration of his current term at the end of November, he will not seek reelection. Before being re-elected in 2022, Barclay was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020.
“Nominations for the next Chair must be submitted by August 27, 2024, by current directors. If more than one candidate submits a nomination, an election will take place, and the new Chair’s term will begin on December 1, 2024,” the media release stated.
Shah currently holds the majority of the Directors’ support and is the head of the ICC’s extremely powerful Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee. Robust boards such as Cricket Australia (CA) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) are also in his corner. For some time now, there have been persistent rumors that he will become the ICC Chair, but the BCCI Secretary has remained silent about his intentions.
Should he choose to move, the 35-year-old will hold the title of youngest ICC Chair. Other former leaders of the international cricket body include N Srinivasan, Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, Shashank Manohar, and N Srinivasan.
Winds of change
The first step has already been taken, and many changes are anticipated in the ICC corridors in the upcoming months. An advertisement for Head of Events was recently released by the global body. The person who held the position, Chris Tetley, resigned after the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies went poorly.
“We are currently looking for Head of Events to oversee the strategic planning, management, and execution of ICC events, ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals,” read the advertisement.
A three-person committee has already been established by the ICC to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the execution of the multi-nation event. After long tenures, Tetley and Claire Furlong, the global body’s head of marketing and communications, have already resigned. It is understood that they will continue to be investigated while an investigation is conducted.
Even Disney Star, the broadcaster, is trying to renegotiate its agreement with the ICC after the World Cup. The $3 billion deal began with the 2024 T20 World Cup, and it is understood that the broadcaster is requesting a refund for low-scoring games in New York caused by subpar pitches, as well as for the South Africa vs. Afghanistan semi-final. Both parties are still in communication with one another, and current ICC Chair Barclay is involved.