NEW DELHI: India’s cricket chief Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as chairman of the sport’s world body, the International Cricket Council, it said Tuesday.
Shah will take over the role from December, after current Chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term.
“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket,” Shah said, adding he was “humbled” by the appointment.
“Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.”
From being the chief of the world’s richest cricket board to leading the ICC, the 35-year-old’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 home minister Amit Shah, the right-hand man of Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shah, the powerful Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India since 2019, becomes the youngest ICC chairman.
Top cricketers in India enjoy superstardom with millions of die-hard fans, most lucrative playing contracts, and endorsement deals not seen anywhere else in global cricket.
By some counts, Indian cricket on average generates more revenue than Bollywood.
More than 90 percent of the sport’s billion-plus worldwide fans are in the Indian subcontinent, according to a 2018 ICC study.
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 said he wanted to “embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide.”
India’s Jay Shah to be cricket world body chairman: ICC
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India’s Jay Shah to be cricket world body chairman: ICC
- Shah will take over the role from December, after current Chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term
- Jay Shah: ‘I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket’
Al-Hilal win tightens Saudi Pro League title race
- The 3-2 victory over Al-Khaleej leaves Al-Hilal a single point behind Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr, who play on Saturday
DUBAI: The gap at the top of the Saudi Pro League table was cut to just one point on Friday night, following Al-Hilal’s 3-2 win over Al-Khaleej.
Simone Inzaghi’s team leapfrogged Al-Taawoun into second place to remain the closest challengers to Al-Nassr in the title fight, with the leaders set to host Al-Okhdood on Saturday.
Al-Hilal opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Mohammed Kanno met Hamad Al-Yami’s lay-off on the edge of the penalty area, his long-range shot beating Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Anthony Moris at his left-hand post.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic doubled the lead on 39 from Malcom’s assist to leave the visitors with a mountain to climb in the second half. Al-Hilal looked to have secured all three points comfortably when Malcom made it 3-0 on 57 minutes, but Al-Khaleej had other ideas.
Joshua King’s goal on 79 minutes looked to be nothing more than a consolation, but five minutes later Al-Hilal were left sweating after Giorgos Masouras cut their lead to a single goal. The visitors’ revival was short-lived, however, with no more additions to the score.
The defeat leaves Al-Khaleej in eighth place, with three matches still to be played on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, Al-Taawoun briefly climbed to second place in the table after an away win against Al-Kholood at Al-Hazem Stadium. Their goals came from Christopher Zambrano after 22 minutes and a William Troost-Ekong’s own goal in the 75th; Al-Taawoun ended the match with 10 men after Muteb Al-Mufarrij was sent off in stoppage time, but the three points were already secured.
Al-Hilal’s win later in the day meant Al-Taawoun dropped to third, while Al-Kholood sit in 12th.
The first match of the day saw Al-Fateh shock reigning Asian champions Al-Ahli with a 2-1 win, after falling behind at home to Valentin Atangana’s 22nd-minute goal. However, the home team turned the match around with two goals from Maria Vargas either side of half time.
The win saw Al-Fateh rise to 14th while Al-Ahli stayed in fourth.
