Photo Credit: Instagram Photos of @dk00019 and @jayshah2200988
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik praised Jay Shah, the current secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as an exceptional administrator following Shah’s appointment as the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The ICC announced that Shah will assume the role on December 1, 2024, making him the youngest chairman in the organization’s history. At 35, Shah will be the fifth Indian to hold the position, succeeding Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar.
Reflecting on Jay Shah’s appointment as the next ICC chief, Dinesh Karthik praised Shah’s contributions to women’s cricket and his effective management of both the ICC and Indian cricket. Karthik noted that the results of Shah’s work are evident.
“I think Jay Shah has been an outstanding administrator. I really feel that not only because of whatever he has done for women’s cricket in general, but the way he has handled ICC and the way Indian cricket has been handled, and you all can see the results,” Karthik said.
He added, “And as I said in the previous show as well, if you want your country’s cricket to do well, domestic cricket should always be attended to and Jay Shah did that brilliantly. He has taken care of players and most players will tell you the comfort that they have when they are traveling, the kind of small things which he has given a lot of importance to.”
Dinesh Karthik highlighted Jay Shah’s significant contributions to cricket, such as raising match fees and emphasizing the importance of Test cricket. Karthik noted Shah’s role in the successful launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and expressed confidence in Shah’s continued support for the growth of global cricket.
“The way he has grown match fees and made sure Test cricket is at the forefront so that players benefit a lot from just choosing to play Test cricket. And there are many more. Women’s cricket, the WPL, the way he has launched it, the way women’s cricket has taken off post that, and a lot more,” Karthik said.
He added, “And I am sure when he gets into that ICC post as well, he is going to help world cricket grow. And that’s something that’s very needed.”
Jay Shah began his administrative career at the district and state levels in Gujarat in 2009, became the joint secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) in 2013, and was appointed BCCI secretary in 2019.
He also became President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2021. During his tenure, Shah introduced equal match fees for men and women, launched the Women’s Premier League, increased prize money in domestic cricket, hosted the IPL twice during the COVID pandemic, and oversaw the construction of a new National Cricket Academy (NCA) campus.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexc “daily briefing” newsletter.
