Jay Shah was elected as the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in October 2019, before being re-elected to the role in October 2022. The introduction of a franchise cricket league for women in the form of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India and pay parity for the senior Indian women’s cricket team were a few of his potentially revolutionary decisions for encouraging the growth and the development of the women’s game in India, during his tenure as the BCCI Secretary.
Most recently, Jay Shah had also introduced prize money for the Player of the Match award across all domestic competitions ranging from different age groups, men’s/women’s Under-15 to Under-23.
In December 2019, the BCCI chose Jay Shah as its representative for the future Chief Executive’s Committee (CEC) meetings of the International Cricket Council (ICC). In January 2021, he was appointed as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), before being re-elected for the position in January 2024. In April 2022, he was also appointed as the ICC Board Member Representative and then the Head of ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs (F and CA) committee.
In August, earlier this year, he was elected as the Chairman of the ICC, in an unopposed election to replace Greg Barclay in the position. He officially commenced his tenure in the role on 1st December 2024.
“Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the game, and I am dedicated to preserving its stature while enhancing its appeal to fans. Simultaneously, women’s cricket will be a cornerstone of our growth strategy as we take the sport to new horizons,” wrote Jay Shah, sharing his vision via his official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle as he commences his tenure as the new ICC Chairman.
There was a time, not too long ago when various cricket pandits and experts started to question the existence and the relevance of Test cricket in the modern era of the sport. It also had its share of impact on a certain section of fans showing a lack of interest in viewing Test cricket, which reflected in viewership in terms of significantly empty stands in the stadium.
The advancement of franchise leagues and the introduction of the shortened version of the game (for instance, the Hundred, T10, the 66 Super League) all over the world could potentially be the root cause of diminishing interest in the longest form of the sport. A few of the elite players from various countries prioritising franchise commitments in the leagues over national duty has also been a major setback to international cricket. However, there are a few exceptions in this evolving scenario.
In such times, it could come up as a different challenge to preserve all the core formats of the sport along with the evolving dynamics. However, the newly appointed ICC Chairman Jay Shah’s recent statement via his personal X (formerly known as Twitter) handle where he aims to prioritise the revival of Test cricket and the growth of the women’s game during his tenure at the helm would serve as a piece of good news for all the traditional Test cricket and Women’s cricket lovers, be it the fans or the players.
The ICC released a new Women’s International FTP (2025-2029) for the cycle of the next four years in November earlier this year. Notably, there was a significant increase in terms of the number of Test matches (14 Tests), double the number in the upcoming cycle as compared to the first-ever Women’s International FTP (2022-2025) which had a total of just 7 Test matches. Australia will play a total of 8 Test matches, while England will play a total of 7 Test matches, followed by South Africa (5 Tests), India (5 Tests), and West Indies (3 Tests) respectively from 2025-2029.
The new FTP cycle also includes the inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in June-July 2027 and Cricket has also been included in the 2028 edition of the Olympics in Los Angeles.
Loves all things female cricket