"Cricket needs his great decision-making" - John Buchanan reacts to Jay Shah's appointment as ICC chairman
Former Australian coach John Buchanan has congratulated Jay Shah for being elected as the next International Cricket Council chairman. He urged the current Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary to work towards making all three formats of the game equal in priority.
Shah was, on Tuesday, August 27, elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the ICC. He will take charge of his role from December 1, 2024, replacing Greg Barclay, who didn't run for a third term.
Sharing his thoughts on Shah's appointment as the next ICC chief, Buchanan said that one if his challenges will be ensure all three formats retain its significance among the growing influence of T20 and franchise leagues. Buchanan said (as quoted by ANI):
"Congratulations to him. It is wonderful from BCCI's point of view to have him there. Cricket needs his great decision-making at the ICC level.
"There have been talks of getting rid of ODIs in the age of popular T20Is, T20s, T10 competitions and matches. There are plenty of things that can entice quality players to play for a club rather than their country. I do not think this is healthy, representing your country is your highest privilege. I hope Shah will be able to work on it along with the ICC administration and make all three formats of the game equal in priority," he added.
Incidentally, while issuing an official statement through BCCI after being named the next ICC chief, Shah termed T20 as a naturally exciting format but added that Test cricket forms the bedrock of the sport.
"This series will test everybody both physically and mentally" - Buchanan
The former Australian coach also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be played Down Under from November 22 to January 7. He opined that the side which does better physically and mentally will be the winner.
"All the tests are happening in a matter of seven weeks. There are five Tests. In the Australian team, there are one or two players under 30 years of age while for India there are three or four such players.
"It is a battle of veterans really. This series will test everybody both physically and mentally and whoever is better in these two aspects, will be the victor," Buchanan commented.
As part of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India will play five Tests in Australia. The opening Test will be played in Perth, followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.