Jay Shah the secretary of BCCI is appointed as the new chairperson of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Top four challenges ahead of the Jay Shah as ICC chairperson.
The appointment of Jay Shah as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) marks a significant moment for cricket, not just for India but also globally. He becomes the fifth Indian and the youngest ever (35) to hold the prestigious position, replacing New Zealand’s Greg Barclay. He was elected unopposed, and his upcoming tenure begins on December 1.
Shah can play a crucial role in the sport’s trajectory and growth. “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalise cricket,” the veteran expressed in a statement released by the ICC.
“We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before,” Shah further remarked.
A look at four major challenges ahead of Jay Shah
Promotion of cricket in Associate Nations
One of the biggest challenges for Jay Shah will be to promote the game across the globe, especially among associate nations. The recent T20 World Cup 2024 was an exceptional example of how exposure at the highest level could help the smaller nations to grow. Twenty teams took part in the tournament. Apart from Ireland, Oman, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea (PNG), all the sides earned at least one victory.
The United States of America (USA) and Scotland even advanced to the Super Eight stage of the event. The latter was battling hard with England for a semi-final spot. So, it will be vital to spread the game more and give those teams more chances. Afghanistan have improved over the years. If given more opportunities, these associate nations can come up with better performances in major tournaments.
Saving Test cricket beyond the ‘big three’ with the proposed fund
With the increased number of T20 leagues around the world, a few teams have struggled in the longest format. Most of their players, making them available for the franchises, take their attention away from the red-ball format. The recent reports revealed that the ICC could introduce a dedicated fund expected to be around US $15 million (INR 125 crore).
The initiative, driven by Cricket Australia (CA) chair Mike Baird, got the support of Jay Shah and the England Cricket Board (ECB). The aim is to create a central fund to offer standard match fees for the players across the boards.
“It's fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test-match fund. We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white-ball cricket,” Baird told the ‘Sydney Morning Herald.’
However, Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO, Johnny Grave, isn’t much satisfied with the proposal. He believes that the proposed fund won’t make any difference, particularly in their structure.
“I think the Test fund was a good initiative. I don't know if US $15 million a year will make any difference to anything,” he noted. "I think the idea of paying a test fee of US $10,000 is not even window dressing. We pay our players US $10,000. So, I sort of smiled when I saw that come out in the press."
Now, it will be up to Jay Shah to take the final call regarding the whole development.
Read More: Test Cricket Incentive Scheme set to boost health of longest format & benefit Indian cricket
Future of ODI Cricket with relevance of bilateral series
The current state of one-day international cricket is at the point of death. The viewership is declining as players are choosing the period to take time off the game. Very few nations have been involved in the 50-over format consistently. India have played only three ODIs this year before their next scheduled 50-over game in February next year. Most of the attention has been towards the T20Is.
Teams have been planning for major ICC tournaments and preparing themselves for a year and a half before that event. So, the question arises if the bilateral series holds any relevance. With Test cricket being paramount and T20 becoming the future, the goal is to increase interest in bilateral ODI cricket. It will be interesting to see the ideas that the BCCI secretary brings in the future.
Future roadmap for league cricket across the world
The number of leagues, of late, has reached another level. Every country has its franchise tournaments. They also have their domestic T20 events. In India, most of the states are involved in their own 20-over competition, respectively. Even as a spectator, it becomes next to impossible to follow all the games, let alone describe how hard it is for the players to play.
So, scheduling the leagues will be quite vital, keeping in mind the international window. It will also help the players to choose and contribute to specific events that don’t clash with their national commitment.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is mostly blessed in this aspect. Not many 20-over tournaments take place during the period, making it easier for the players to get involved. However, that’s not the case for the other ten months. So, for Jay Shah, it will be vital to squeeze those tournaments to maintain the smoothness of international cricket.
His tenure at the ICC is expected to redefine the game’s global landscape. As he steps into the role, the cricketing world waits with a mixture of anticipation and scrutiny. The hope is to see him not only protecting the game but also propelling it to new heights in its next golden era.
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