NEW DELHI: Indian cricket boss Jay Shah began Sunday his tenure as chairman of the Inte­rnational Cricket Council, saying he looked forward to taking the sport to “new heights”.

The son of India’s powerful home minister Amit Shah was elected unopposed by the sport’s world body in August and succeeds Greg Barclay, who decided not to seek a third term.

At 36, he is the youngest person ever to hold the position.

“Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and Member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights,” Shah said in a statement.

He said it was an “exciting” time for the sport with preparations underway for the 2028 Olympics and working to “make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide”.

“We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game,” he added.

From being the chief of the world’s richest cricket board to leading the ICC, Shah’s meteoric rise illustrates India’s domination of the sport’s global administration.

In a country where the sport and politics go hand in glove, Shah is best known for being the son of Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-hand man Amit Shah.

The ICC is the global governing body for cricket, with more than 100 members, and is responsible for staging global events such as the World Cup.

Shah’s start at his new job comes at a crucial time, with the fate of next year’s Champions Trophy hanging in the balance after India refused to travel to host nation Pakistan.

Sources from the ICC told AFP earlier this week that talks to settle the dispute were still ongoing.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024