The cricket world is eagerly awaiting the upcoming four-day ICC Annual Conference in Colombo, scheduled to begin on Friday, July 19. The upcoming meeting could make things very clear as to the exact timing of BCCI Secretary Jay Shah becoming the next ICC President.
According to media reports, the appointment of Jay Shah as ICC president is only a matter of time. Currently, New Zealander Greg Barclay is the president of the game’s governing body. ICC members will discuss the possible timing of his appointment at the next meeting.
Jay Shah still has one year left as BCCI secretary. His term will end in 2025, before the mandatory cooling-off period begins. On the other hand, Barclay’s two-year term will end this year. He was first elected ICC president in 2020, before being re-elected in 2022.
With Jay Shah’s term ending next year and Barclay’s this year, there is still no clarity on the timing of the appointment. Reports also indicate that Barclay’s current term could be extended to three years.
In that case, Jay Shah will replace him in 2025 when he is on a period of inactivity as BCCI administrator. A PTI report claims that Shah could serve as ICC president for three years before returning to the BCCI as president.
“It is not a question of how but when as he still has one year left as BCCI secretary before his period of inactivity in the Indian board starts in 2025 as per the constitution. However, if he has to take over the charge in 2025, then Barclay cannot complete his third two-year term from December 2024 to December 2026,” an ICC source told PTI.
“There is a school of thought that argues that what if the ICC presidency term were changed from three terms of two years each to two terms of three years, so that the cumulative term could remain six years?” the source added.
Other items on the agenda of the ICC meeting:
Apart from the discussion on the appointment of Jay Shah as the ICC chairman, the board members will also discuss other matters. One of the major topics of discussion will be the losses incurred by the ICC during the T20 World Cup. According to reports, the ICC has suffered a staggering loss of $20 million for hosting the T20 World Cup matches in the United States of America.
The appointment of a new ICC external auditor is also on the agenda, along with discussions on ICC memberships, reports from associate member meetings and presentation of ICC development awards, according to PTI. The ICC could also discuss the possibility of India not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year.
