At 35, Shah is currently the BCCI secretary, making him the youngest person to hold the position. After Barclay, who served as ICC president for two terms from 2020, confirmed to the board that he would not run for a third term, the board had until August 27 to submit its nominations for the next president. Elections were held only when two or more candidates were nominated, but Shah was the only candidate.
“I am honoured to be appointed as Chairman of the International Cricket Council and I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and its member associations to further globalise cricket,” Shah said in an ICC statement. “We are at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, facilitate the adoption of cutting-edge technology and introduce our flagship events to new global markets. Our aim is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.
“We will build on the valuable lessons we have learned, but we must also embrace new thinking and innovation to grow the love of cricket around the world. The inclusion of our sport in the LA 2028 Olympic Games represents a significant turning point in the growth of cricket and I am confident it will propel the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”
In a statement released by the BCCI, Shah spoke of prioritising Test cricket and “allocating more resources to women’s cricket and para-cricket”.
“I would also like to work on creating a separate programme for talent search during my tenure and look forward to your support for this programme,” Shah said. “While T20 is naturally an interesting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game. We need to ensure that cricketers are attracted to the longer formats and our efforts will be focused towards this goal.
“I look forward to a term full of collaborative efforts, working to dismantle the barriers that hinder the advancement of cricket. Every challenge we face is an opportunity in disguise, and together we will turn adversity into triumph. Let us embark on this incredible journey together, united by our passion for cricket and our belief in its incredible potential.”
Shah is the fifth Indian to lead the ICC after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar.
Shah has been the BCCI Secretary since October 2019 after starting his cricket administrative career in Gujarat in 2009. He became a member of the ICC’s influential Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) Committee in 2022 and took over as its Chairman in 2023. Shah was also re-elected as the BCCI Secretary in 2022 for a term of up to 2025. If he takes over as ICC Chairman, he will have to give up his seats on the BCCI and the ICC’s F&CA Committee. Shah was also the President of the Asian Cricket Council from 2021 to 2024.
