Incumbent International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Greg Barclay on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) decided against a third term, after the end of his tenure on November 30. The move has led to speculations around the future of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah in the sport's governing body. (More Cricket News)
The last date for filing nominations for the chairman's post is August 27, which is when Shah's candidature (or the lack of it) for the role will be clear.
An ICC chairman is eligible for three terms of two years each and Barclay, a New Zealand-based attorney, has so far completed four years.
"ICC Chair Greg Barclay confirmed to the Board that he will not stand for a third term and will step down from the post when his current tenure finishes at the end of November. Barclay was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020, before being re-elected in 2022," an ICC press release stated.
According to ICC rules, the chairman's election involves 16 votes and a majority of nine votes is now needed (51%) for the winner. Earlier, to become the chairman, the incumbent needed to have two-thirds majority.
"Current directors are now required to put forward nominations for the next Chair by 27 August 2024 and if there is more than one candidate, an election will be held with the term of the new Chair commencing on 1 December 2024," the ICC release added.
Shah is currently the head of ICC's finance and commercial affairs sub-committee and is regarded as one of the most influential faces in the ICC boardroom. He has one more year left as the BCCI secretary before going on a mandatory cooling off period of three years from October 2025.
According to the BCCI constitution approved by the Supreme Court, an office-bearer can stay for six years before going for a cooling-off of three years. In all, a person can stay in office for a maximum of 18 years -- nine in state association and nine in BCCI.
If Shah does opt to move to ICC with a year of his BCCI secretaryship left, he will have four years left in the Indian cricket board.
If elected, Shah could become the youngest chairman in the history of ICC at the age of 35.
The Indians who have headed the ICC in the past are Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar.
(With PTI inputs)
