"Looking forward for cricket's new era!" - Cricket fraternity reacts as Jay Shah becomes new ICC chairman
Jay Shah has been elected as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary was elected unopposed and will take over from Greg Barclay, who opted out of a third term.
Shah will assume the role on December 1, 2024. The 35-year-old will become the youngest ICC chairman in history. Following the announcement, several members of the cricket fraternity took to social media to express their excitement.
Here are some of the top reactions:
Reacting to Jay Shah becoming the new ICC chairman, former India all-rounder and two-time World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh wrote on X:
"Congratulations @JayShah on your new responsibility as #ICCChairman. I am confident that your leadership and vision will take international cricket to even greater heights. Wishing you the best and looking forward to seeing the game evolve even more in times to come."
"Congratulations to @JayShah Sir on his appointment as the ICC Chairman. Exciting times ahead!" commented Smriti Mandhana.
"You've been the driving factor at BCCI, With your vision & dreams, Cricket will continue to grow & thrive. Congratulations @JayShah on being the youngest @ICC chairman. Looking forward for Cricket's New Era!" chimed in Dinesh Karthik.
Jay Shah is the fifth Indian to head the apex council. Apart from being the BCCI secretary since 2019, he has also served as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) since 2021.
"We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format"- Jay Shah on the importance of Test cricket
After being elected as the new ICC chairman, Jay Shah issued a statement in which he emphasized the importance of Test cricket, hailing the red-ball format as the bedrock of the game.
Shah mentioned that while T20 cricket is an exciting format, his aim will be to ensure that players also focus on Test cricket. Shah said in an official statement released through BCCI:
"While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game. We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelized towards this goal."
It is worth mentioning that Shah became the chairman of ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee in 2023.