Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @icc
India’s Jay Shah officially assumed the role of chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) last Sunday, becoming the fifth Indian to lead the global cricket body. Shah, who served as the BCCI secretary for five years, has received strong support from former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who believes he will excel in the position.
Shastri praised Shah’s ability to quickly understand and adapt to challenges, highlighting his effective leadership during his tenure with the BCCI. “First I will say, Mabruk (congrats in Arabic). Every Indian should feel proud. He is a young man but what I liked about Jay was even when I was the coach, at that time he had just become the BCCI secretary, his ability to grasp things around him. And he did it so quickly. He understood what’s needed for the BCCI to grow as a unit. And what I liked best was the way he took everyone along,” Shastri said in a video shared by the ICC.
Reflecting on Shah’s leadership qualities, Shastri noted that his experience with the BCCI would prove invaluable at the ICC. “He had his finger on the job all the time and I think he’ll do wonders even with the ICC. I think a lot of people might be surprised, how can he go so quickly to the ICC? They’ll get a pleasant shock when he shows them those coffers of theirs in 2-3 years’ time. He has learned very quickly, dealing with the BCCI, that experience will stand with him in good stead going there,” Shastri added, expressing confidence in Shah’s ability to deliver impressive results in the years ahead.
Shastri also acknowledged Shah’s dedication to player welfare during his BCCI tenure and expressed optimism that he would foster collaboration among ICC board members. “What was also good to see was his concern for the well-being of the players. It took him about 6-8 months and that concern was there. I can’t say that it was (the case) with all the others, who were there before him. Even in my stint, I didn’t see that happening that too often.
“Once he’s settled into the job, one year down the line, you will see the difference. I don’t think he will be fazed. Just like he took the whole board along with him (at BCCI), he’ll take all the other ICC members with him,” Shastri said.
Shah was unanimously elected by the ICC’s Board of Directors, succeeding New Zealand’s Greg Barclay, who stepped down after two terms. Previous Indian ICC chairpersons include Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, Shashank Manohar, and N Srinivasan.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexec “daily briefing” newsletter.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
