Jay Shah could serve two three-year terms as ICC chair

 

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah could end up being the ICC chair for two terms of three years each instead of three terms of two years each, which is the current norm, after he takes over on December 1, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The ICC Board, which met in Dubai over the weekend, recommended that the term, for the chair and the independent director, be changed.

ICC said in a statement on Monday that the recommendation will now be “circulated for approval” among its members, comprising Full and Associate Members.

While no reason was given for the recommendation, it is understood that the move is part of the ICC’s drive for better governance, the report said.

The ICC Board believes it will provide security and stability to both the chair and independent director, who sit on the ICC Board, without having to worry about elections every two years. Also, while the overall term of six years remains the same, there will be more continuity, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Jay Shah was elected unopposed to replace outgoing ICC chair Greg Barclay. The report said there were changes to the ICC men’s cricket committee, too, with New Zealand businessman Scott Weenink appointed Full Member representative, and Scott Edwards, the 28-year-old Netherlands captain, named Associate Member representative.

The ICC Board approved the next women’s future tours program (FTP) for the 2025-2029 cycle, which will be announced soon. This will be the second FTP for women, following the one announced in 2022, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Additionally, the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) approved shifting the calendar for the women’s rankings annual update from October 1 to May 1 every year. To ensure the rankings accurately reflect the increase in women’s cricket, teams will now need to play at least eight matches per format (ODIs and T20Is) instead of six.

The process for Associate teams to gain ODI status has also been formalized. Currently, 16 women’s teams have ODI status, including 11 Full Members and five Associate Members (Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, and USA).

For the 2025-2029 cycle, the top two Associate teams that qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup qualifier in 2025 will gain ODI status. The remaining three slots will be based on T20I rankings as of May 1, 2025, making their ODI status dependent on T20I performances.

The ICC has also approved the creation of two annual T20I tournaments for Associate teams between 2025 and 2028. This is intended to increase competition in preparation for the 16-team women’s T20 World Cup in 2030.