The spotlight will be on BCCI secretary Jay Shah at this week’s four-day ICC Annual Conference in Colombo, as speculation mounts that he may soon succeed New Zealander Greg Barclay as chairman of the global cricket governing body.
Although the nine-point agenda for the AGM (obtained by PTI) does not explicitly mention the financial details, the board will still discuss them as part of a standard post-event report.
The upcoming ICC conference, starting with a board meeting on Friday, is expected to focus heavily on the substantial losses, estimated at over $20 million, incurred by the global body due to organizing the T20 World Cup games in the USA.
While the nine-point agenda for the AGM (a copy of which has been obtained by PTI) does not explicitly include the financial details of the event, the board will still discuss it as a standard ‘post-event report.’
The ICC Board’s official agenda includes several key items: the appointment of a new external auditor, discussions on ICC memberships, reports from associate member meetings, and the ICC Development Awards presentation. However, the issue of India not traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy is not officially on the agenda, unless it is raised under the “Any Other Business” section with the permission of the chair.
One of the ICC sources familiar with the proceedings noted that one of the main areas of interest for attendees is when Jay Shah takes over as the new chairman of the world cricketing body.
“The timing, not the method, is the key consideration, as the BCCI secretary has one more year before his mandatory cooling-off period begins in 2025 as per the constitution. However, if he assumes the role in 2025, Barclay would be unable to complete his third two-year term from December 2024 to December 2026. There is a proposal to alter the ICC chairmanship from three two-year terms to two three-year terms, maintaining the overall six-year tenure,” a BCCI source stated.
If Barclay’s term extends to three years, Shah could complete his six-year tenure as BCCI secretary and then serve as ICC chairman from 2025 to 2028. During this time, Shah would be on a cooling-off period from the BCCI. After his ICC chairmanship ends in 2028, Shah could then return and take on the role of BCCI president.