'Jay Shah likely to replace Greg Barclay as ICC Chairman'

New Delhi, Aug 21: Jay Shah is one of the most powerful people in cricket and his tenure as BCCI General Secretary Jay Shah has seen India further establish their grip as the most powerful board in the sport. It now seems that Shah is likely to be named as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Current chair Greg Barclay announced his intentions to step down from his post through a video conference amidst a 4.46 billion dollar dispute between the governing body and its major broadcast rights holder Star as reported by The Age.

The report further suggests that Shah has already acquired support from Australia and England, two of the leading figures in international cricket, for nomination and hopes to run the ICC for at least three 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 spokesperson told The Age.

“Current directors are now required to put forward nominations for the next chair by August 27, 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,” added the ICC official.

Jagmohan Dalmiya (1997 to 2000) and Sharad Pawar (2010-2012) are the only two Indians who have held the position of ICC's chief in the past. Shah’s tenure as General Secretary of BCCI ends in 2025 following which he is obligated to enter a three-year cooling-off period.

For any individual to be voted in as the chairman of the ICC, said person is required to garner at least nine votes out of the 16 which amounts to 51%.