Shah, 35, who has been BCCI secretary since 2019, will replace incumbent Greg Barclay, 62, on December 1 after the New Zealander decided not to run for a third consecutive two-year term.
Shah, who is the son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will step down from his India post at the BCCI Annual General Meeting, likely to be held late next month or in October.
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Shah became the fifth Indian after the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to be elected to the top post.
The Ahmedabad-based administrator, who was the only candidate for the presidency, stressed his commitment to expanding the global reach and popularity of cricket, especially with its upcoming inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I am honoured to be nominated as the President of the International Cricket Council,” Shah said in an ICC statement.
He also acknowledged that international cricket is at a critical juncture and it would be important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies and introduce marquee events to new global markets.
“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member countries to further globalise cricket. Our aim is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before,” he said in the statement.
Being a powerful decision-maker on the world’s richest cricket board, which contributes more than 75 per cent of the global body’s revenue, Shah’s selection was never in doubt once he entered the fray.
It is known that one of the powerful cricket committees of SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) was Shah’s nominee and another of these countries supported the nomination. And he remained the only contender on the final day of nominations.
Under the ICC constitution, there are 17 votes: 12 nations participating in eventing, a president, a vice-president, two candidates for associate membership and an independent director.
That he is a likely choice was made clear when he was named head of the ICC’s most powerful subcommittee, Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA), in 2022.
The timing could not have been better for Shah, who would have had to enter a mandatory cooling-off period in 2025 for a three-year period until 2028.
The BCCI constitution allows office-bearers to serve for a cumulative period of 18 years – nine at the national board and nine at the state units.
But in extreme cases, a person may remain in office for a period of only six years, after which a three-year cooling-off period is required.
If all goes well, Shah could serve two terms at the ICC and return to complete his remaining four years at the BCCI in 2028, albeit as board president.
Challenges at the ICC
The immediate task facing Shah will be the organisation of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
It is noteworthy that Shah, as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), was a big supporter of the hybrid model where Pakistan and Sri Lanka jointly hosted the Asia Cup ODI event in 2023.
It remains to be seen how ICC President Shah will handle the matter, given that the Indian government may not allow the team to travel to Pakistan.
It is believed that the “hybrid model” could again be the solution with Pakistan playing its matches at home and against India in Dubai.
The long-term challenge would be to protect the future of Test cricket with dedicated funding for formats, maintain the sustainability of ODIs and protect countries from losing core talents who are engaged in freelance work in T20 leagues around the world.
Maintaining a schedule that is effective and allows players some leeway along with means to earn good income would also be among their priorities.
Another major challenge is promoting cricket at the Olympic Games, which will debut in Los Angeles in 2028.
“While we will leverage the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace new ideas and innovations to elevate the love for cricket across the world,” Shah said.
“The inclusion of our sport in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 represents a significant turning point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident it will propel the sport forward in unprecedented ways,” he added.
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