Indian cricket administrator Shah on Sunday took charge as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with an immediate goal of ending the impasse surrounding the Champions Trophy and a broader vision of making cricket a commercially viable Olympic sport.The 36-year-old Shah, who headlined the BCCI as its secretary for the last five years, is the fifth Indian and the youngest ever to head the global cricket body. He was the unanimous choice of the ICC’s Board of Directors and replaced New Zealand attorney Greg Barclay, who didn’t wish to continue for a third consecutive term.Before Shah, businessman late Jagmohan Dalmiya, politician Sharad Pawar, lawyer Shashank Manohar, and industrialist N Srinivasan have all headed the world cricket body.Shah will have his task cut out as the ICC looks to find an acceptable solution to implement the ‘Hybrid Model’ for the Champions Trophy originally scheduled in Pakistan.As of now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to accept the ‘Hybrid Model’ under which India plays their matches in Dubai. However, the PCB also wants the same courtesy to be accorded to Pakistan in all four ICC tournaments till 2031, which will be co-hosted or singularly hosted by the Indian cricket board.Now, as the head of the global body and with less than 100 days left for the tournament to begin, Shah will have to coordinate with both the PCB and his former colleagues at the BCCI for an “acceptable solution” in order to organize a hassle-free tournament. India has already refused to travel to Pakistan as it hasn’t received clearance from its government.Shah didn’t make any comment on the Champions Trophy while outlining his priorities for his term, which included leveraging the sport’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as an opportunity and further accelerating the growth of the women’s game.“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.”Having started as an administrator at the district level in Gujarat Cricket Association when he was still a college student, Shah has worked his way up the ladder from state to national and now global level.It was during his time that Gujarat became a domestic force by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time, and he has also been the man behind the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad’s Motera.During his tenure as BCCI secretary, the domestic match fees have increased manifold, and he has been instrumental in starting Test cricket incentive bonuses for national players with emphasis on the white-ball game.However, the two major milestones for him as BCCI secretary are the starting of the Women’s Premier League and having equal match fees for men’s and women’s national team players.Next BCCI Head?While it is still not clear who will be the next BCCI secretary, India could be represented at the ICC Board by either current president Roger Binny or vice-president Rajiv Shukla.
