File photo of ICC president Jay Shah.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The ICC in collaboration with cricket boards of India, Australia and England is exploring the possibility of a two-tier Test system to facilitate more series between big three nations.

The Age reported that Jay Shah, the new ICC chairman, is set to meet Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and his England counterpart Richard Thompson later this month to discuss the finer points.

“Any plan for a move to two divisions in Test cricket would kick in after the end of the current Future Tours Program in 2027,” the Age reported quoting its sources.

The BCCI is currently gearing up for its Special General Meeting on January 12 in Mumbai where interim secretary Devajit Saikia is expected to get a full-time role. Saikia was appointed in the interim role after Shah vacated his post last month to take over as ICC chairman.

A BCCI official indicated that the discussion floated around the ICC corridors in 2016, the first-time when a two-tier Test system was seriously considered.

“We don’t have any news of any such move as yet. Currently, preparations are being made for SGM and the recent tour to Australia too needs to be discussed.

“There was such a move sometime back, but we haven’t heard anything since,” a BCCI source told PTI.

The BCCI and cricket bodies of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh opposed the move, citing the possibility of decreasing revenue.

They had also argued that smaller nations would miss out on the opportunity of playing against top teams if such a system comes into existence.

However, nine years down the road the modalities have changed and even some of the reputed experts such as former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri are supporting the division.

“I’ve been a firm believer in that if you want Test cricket to survive and be alive and thriving, I think that’s the way to go.

“The top teams play against each other more often, so there is a contest; you want contests,” Shastri told SEN during the recent fifth Test between India and Australia.

Even some of the top players such as England Test skipper Ben Stokes had criticised the current model of World Test Championship.

Citing concerns over “territorial integrity and political interference in sports”, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Friday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan Cricket Board’s announcement to conduct the Champions Trophy tour in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas, say reports.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s governing body, has decided to cancel the planned trophy tour of the Champions Trophy 2025 in Skardu, Murree, and Muzaffarabad – areas that fall within PoK.

“BCCI secretary Jay Shah strongly condemns the Pakistan Cricket Board’s announcement to conduct the Champions Trophy tour in PoK, reiterating India’s objection to the move,” news agency ANI reported citing unnamed sources.

“Jay Shah has raised the matter with the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging the body to take appropriate action in light of the BCCI’s concerns over territorial integrity and political interference in sports,” the news agency added.

The ICC informed the PCB last week that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance. 

Pakistan had previously rejected the option of a hybrid arrangement that would allow India to play their matches at neutral venues, for example in the United Arab Emirates. 

Deteriorating political ties have meant the arch rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.  India last toured Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008.

Pakistan visited India for last year’s ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.

Any cricket match between the two Asian cricketing giants is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar.

The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues — Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi — from February 19 to March 9 next year.

The previous edition was held in England and Wales in 2017, with Pakistan defeating arch-rivals India in the final at the Oval.
 

Jay Shah, 35, is a year younger than India captain Rohit Sharma. We know little of his cricket skills or acumen. We do know a bit about his cricket knowledge, though. In a recent interview he said, “In Australia and England, every international player does not play domestic cricket.”

If they are not reacting in Australia and England, it is because Shah is getting ready to take over as Independent Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and it won’t do to upset the most powerful man in the game. Actually, he is already the most powerful, as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and son of India’s Home Minister. As caretaker, in a sense, of the game’s treasure chest, he might be the most powerful ever — no W.G. Grace, Don Bradman or Sachin Tendulkar can match his combination of political, filial and financial heft.

Shah will be anointed on December 1 before which he has to quit as the BCCI secretary. Rohan Jaitley, another from the BJP stable of sports administrators and son of a former Minister is likely to succeed him.

Of course it is an honour for India etc., as anyone, especially players who wish to remain on the right side of authority, will tell you. Even inevitable, you might say. I mean, look at the Nadellas and Pichais and Ajay Bangas. Cricket is a billion-dollar business too, and how appropriate that it should now officially be run by the ICC in India rather than India in the ICC.

Shah’s comment came a few months after stating that top Indian players would be available for the domestic tournament. Then he changed his mind, saying, “We should not insist on players like Rohit and Virat playing in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury…We have to treat the players with respect.”

One-man authority

The suggestion that those who play the Duleep Trophy beginning this week are not being treated with respect may be a mischievous interpretation. But will the one-man deciding authority in the BCCI (despite its various committees) see himself as the one-man deciding authority in the ICC too? Will the chairman’s voice tolerate other voices? Will he see the ICC as an extension not just of the BCCI but of the government of India, like the BCCI itself currently is?

Cricket has much on its plate. With the domestic T20 and T10 franchises getting more powerful, private ownership might decide its future direction. In 2028, cricket re-enters the Olympics. Disney Star, who hold the rights for ICC’s global events, are apparently seeking a reduction in the $3 billion deal.

Then there is the Pakistan question. There is no sign of a thaw in relationship to suggest bilateral series with India. The ICC’s interests, at least theoretically, are ruled by cricket and not by politics. What is good for India might not be good for world cricket, and vice versa. Other Indian chairmen have used the power of Indian cricket to cut through the occasional feeble objection. N. Srinivasan is a good example. Money talks in cricket with an Indian accent.

The argument that England and Australia bullied their way through when they ran world cricket and now it’s India’s turn merely acknowledges that whoever is in charge can ride roughshod over the rest. Still, the optimists will be hoping for more discussion-based decision-making, and greater attention to the smaller countries, even if international cricket seems to be heading towards a two-tier system with six teams in each tier. But that’s a discussion for another day.

Meanwhile, there is the Duleep Trophy this week. Teams known as Team A, Team B and so on sound ridiculous, and show the extent of the cricket board’s imagination. Hopefully the new ICC will not rename the teams in international cricket in similar fashion. Somehow Virat Kohli scoring a Test century for Team A doesn’t have quite the zing.

Jay Shah is unlikely to do that. Still, at 35, he can use his limited background in cricket to advantage. Disruptors can sometimes have a positive effect. But the key word in his job title — independent chairman — is the first one.

File picture of ICC chairman-elect Jay Shah
| Photo Credit: AP

Newly-elected ICC Chairman Jay Shah says he will look to ensure that Test cricket forms the “bedrock” of the game in his tenure during which he will also try to “dismantle barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress”.

The 35-year-old will relinquish his current position of BCCI secretary to succeed incumbent Greg Barclay on December 1 as the youngest ICC Chairman for a term of two years.

“While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game,” Shah said in a statement issued by the BCCI on Tuesday.

“We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelised towards this goal,” he added.

Shah said he would also like to work towards setting up a separate program for talent search. He emphasised on lifting the standard of the game across the globe.

“I want to assure you that I will do everything possible to elevate the standard of our game across the globe. As I step into this pivotal role, I am resolutely committed to meeting your high expectations and dedicating myself to the beautiful game of cricket,” he said.

Shah, who is the son of union home minister Amit Shah, will relinquish his position as the BCCI secretary at the board’s Annual General Meeting likely to be held towards the end of next month or in October.

Shah became the fifth Indian after the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to be elected for the high-profile job.

“With cricket poised to make its historic debut at the Olympics in 2028, we stand at the precipice of a transformative era. This juncture is not merely a milestone, it’s a clarion call for all of us involved in this magnificent sport.

“It is my privilege to lead the ICC during such an exciting period in our shared journey,” he said.

During his tenure as the ICC Chairman, Shah said he would advocate for the growth of women’s and differently-abled cricketers.

“We must champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to Women’s Cricket and Differently-abled Cricket. Together, we can empower these essential facets of the sport, making them not just visible but vibrant and thriving.”

“I eagerly anticipate a tenure rich with collaborative efforts, striving to dismantle the barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress. Every challenge we face is an opportunity in disguise, and together, we will transform adversity into triumph.

“Let’s embark on this incredible journey, hand in hand, united by our passion for cricket and our belief in its extraordinary potential,” Shah noted.

In a larger sense, sport is about the strong helping the weak. In a world where it is argued that sport is an artificial construct, a fantasy, we pour into it our ideals. What is essentially meaningless can be transformative if we back it with an ethical purpose.

Perhaps I overanalyse. Perhaps sport is only about winning and/or making money. Yet, with the International Cricket Council set to slightly even out the balance between the haves of the game (India, England, Australia) and the have-nots (the rest) there might be hope of keeping Test cricket alive.

Special fund

The plan is to have a special fund to help nine Test-playing countries (the have-nots) fund their red-ball game, and to give players around the world a decent return from their profession.

Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India had suggested some time back that the ICC start a fund worth five or ten million dollars. How each of the three countries will contribute has to be worked out. Or even how the money is to be distributed.

Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird, who raised the subject in January this year may have been responding to countryman Steve Waugh’s criticism that the administrators are not doing enough for the game. But no matter. At least something is being seen to be done.

Franchise cricket has made the top cricketers enormously rich, but left the less fortunate ones behind. The plan is to ensure that each Test player gets a minimum of ten thousand dollars per Test (the Top Three are not part of the distribution, only the contribution), and that cricket boards perennially struggling for funds get a boost.

Slippery slope

While we will know the financial details soon enough, the psychological details might be more difficult to put together at this stage. For example, what will be the pound of flesh the ‘Big Three’ might demand? Also, are we entering a slippery slope here, with countries notorious for their corrupt boards (and there are a few) seeing this as an opportunity to do even less work for the game and its players than before?

What is significant is that India are on board, and are in fact one of the prime movers of the plan. They get nearly 40% of the ICC’s five-billion dollar global revenue, thanks to television rights. Zimbabwe get 3%, so the contrast is stark.

Yet, the Big Three need Zimbabwe and West Indies and Sri Lanka and other nations, for without their presence, Test cricket would be reduced to a three-team affair. The recent summit at Lord’s where the future of the game was discussed said Test cricket might be restricted to six countries in four years’ time — and even that sounds optimistic — unless something is done.

Already the West Indies, a once-great team, struggle to field a team of their best players, most of whom are happier playing domestic franchises including the 
IPL
, the richest in the world. A number of franchises across the world have Indian owners.

The owners of Delhi Capitals will become the first overseas franchise to own an English county when their 120-million pound bid for Hampshire is ratified by the England Cricket Board. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are eyeing Yorkshire.

Again, from this side of the time frame it is difficult to see where the acquisitive streak of Indian franchise owners will take the game. It is not difficult to imagine world cricket — if one takes the argument to its extreme — being run by Indian businessmen and marketing managers rather than cricketers and politicians.

The economist Adam Smith who lived a 100 years before the first-ever Test match was played, said something that is relevant here: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages.”

World cricket might be at a turning point. In the best case scenario, Test cricket will be boosted by the new fund, and we will continue to get greater variety in the game. In the worst case, the ICC is throwing good money after bad. But it’s a chance worth taking.

Image for representation purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

In a larger sense, sport is about the strong helping the weak. In a world where it is argued that sport is an artificial construct, a fantasy, we pour into it our ideals. What is essentially meaningless can be transformative if we back it with an ethical purpose.

Perhaps I overanalyse. Perhaps sport is only about winning and/or making money. Yet, with the International Cricket Council set to slightly even out the balance between the haves of the game (India, England, Australia) and the have-nots (the rest) there might be hope of keeping Test cricket alive.

Special fund

The plan is to have a special fund to help nine Test-playing countries (the have-nots) fund their red-ball game, and to give players around the world a decent return from their profession.

Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India had suggested some time back that the ICC start a fund worth five or ten million dollars. How each of the three countries will contribute has to be worked out. Or even how the money is to be distributed.

Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird, who raised the subject in January this year may have been responding to countryman Steve Waugh’s criticism that the administrators are not doing enough for the game. But no matter. At least something is being seen to be done.

Franchise cricket has made the top cricketers enormously rich, but left the less fortunate ones behind. The plan is to ensure that each Test player gets a minimum of ten thousand dollars per Test (the Top Three are not part of the distribution, only the contribution), and that cricket boards perennially struggling for funds get a boost.

Slippery slope

While we will know the financial details soon enough, the psychological details might be more difficult to put together at this stage. For example, what will be the pound of flesh the ‘Big Three’ might demand? Also, are we entering a slippery slope here, with countries notorious for their corrupt boards (and there are a few) seeing this as an opportunity to do even less work for the game and its players than before?

What is significant is that India are on board, and are in fact one of the prime movers of the plan. They get nearly 40% of the ICC’s five-billion dollar global revenue, thanks to television rights. Zimbabwe get 3%, so the contrast is stark.

Yet, the Big Three need Zimbabwe and West Indies and Sri Lanka and other nations, for without their presence, Test cricket would be reduced to a three-team affair. The recent summit at Lord’s where the future of the game was discussed said Test cricket might be restricted to six countries in four years’ time — and even that sounds optimistic — unless something is done.

Already the West Indies, a once-great team, struggle to field a team of their best players, most of whom are happier playing domestic franchises including the 
IPL
, the richest in the world. A number of franchises across the world have Indian owners.

The owners of Delhi Capitals will become the first overseas franchise to own an English county when their 120-million pound bid for Hampshire is ratified by the England Cricket Board. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are eyeing Yorkshire.

Again, from this side of the time frame it is difficult to see where the acquisitive streak of Indian franchise owners will take the game. It is not difficult to imagine world cricket — if one takes the argument to its extreme — being run by Indian businessmen and marketing managers rather than cricketers and politicians.

The economist Adam Smith who lived a 100 years before the first-ever Test match was played, said something that is relevant here: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages.”

World cricket might be at a turning point. In the best case scenario, Test cricket will be boosted by the new fund, and we will continue to get greater variety in the game. In the worst case, the ICC is throwing good money after bad. But it’s a chance worth taking.

File picture of BCCI Secretary Jay Shah
| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Jay Shah, the incumbent secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Greg Barclay as the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair in December.

Shah’s expected candidature received a major boost with the ICC through a media release on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) night confirming Barclay’s decision to step down from his post at the annual conference in November.

ALSO READ: No global solutions for cricket, however positive, can work without India 

“ICC Chair Greg Barclay confirmed to the Board that he will not stand for a third term and will step down from the post when his current tenure finishes at the end of November. Barclay was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020, before being re-elected in 2022,” read the ICC statement.

Mere formality

According to the existing rulebook, Barclay was eligible to seek a third term of two years. However, with him deciding to step down, Shah’s elevation to the top job in the global cricket governing body appears to be a mere formality now.

The ICC has proposed rule changes to amend the Chair’s tenure to maximum two terms of three years each, in sync with the BCCI rulebook. Shah is supposed to serve a cooling-off period of at least three years at the BCCI after his current tenured ends in September 2025. However, he will have to resign as the BCCI secretary before taking over as the ICC chief.

ALSO READ: BCCI secretary Jay Shah reappointed as ACC chairman for third successive term

Each of the 16 current ICC directors will have to now file nominations for Barclay’s successor by August 27. Should there be multiple nominations, there will be an election in November, with the new Chair taking over on December 1.

Youngest chief

With Shah – the son of Home Minister Amit Shah – and the BCCI dominating the ICC boardroom, Shah has emerged as the prime candidate to be unanimously elected as the ICC chief.

Besides being the BCCI-appointed ICC director, Shah is also the chairperson of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs sub-committee, among the most influential arms of the ICC.

Should he take over, he will be the youngest ever ICC chief. He will also join the august club of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar as the Indians to have chaired the ICC.

BCCI President Roger Binny, Secretary Jay Shah and Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma during celebrations upon the team’s arrival at New Delhi airport, on July 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma will continue to lead India in the ODI and Test formats BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on July 7, exuding confidence that the country will win next year’s Champions Trophy and World Test Championship under his captaincy.

The 37-year-old Rohit, who became the third Indian captain after legendary Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to win a global trophy, has announced his retirement from the T20 format.

“The next stage is the WTC final and the Champions Trophy. I have full faith in Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, that we will be the champions in both these tournaments,” secretary Shah said in a video message.

The Champions Trophy, scheduled in Pakistan next year, will be held after eight years (since 2017 in UK), and even though the draft schedule has been submitted to the ICC, the BCCI hasn’t yet given its green light to it.

It is understood BCCI will again push for the ‘Hybrid Model’ like 2023 ODI Asia Cup where India played all its matches, including the ones against Pakistan, in Sri Lanka.

Shah’s message, in a way, has put to rest speculations about whether Rohit would quit leadership role in other formats.

Till Rohit calls it quits, India will once again have split captaincy with Rohit leading in ODIs and Tests while Hardik Pandya is expected to take charge of the T20 outfit. Rohit had also led India to the finals of the WTC and ODI World Cup last year, where India lost the summit clash after winning 10 straight games.

Shah dedicated India’s T20 World Cup triumph to the three cricketers, who quit the format after the title victory and outgoing coach Rahul Dravid. “I want to dedicate this victory to coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

“This was our third final in the last year. We lost the WTC final in June, 2023. In November, 2023 we won hearts after 10 wins but couldn’t win the Cup. I had said in Rajkot that we will win the heart and also the Cup on June 24 and install our national flag, and our captain installed the Indian flag,” the secretary said.

Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja are expected to comeback for the ODI series against Sri Lanka slated for August.

India will play six ODIs – three against Sri Lanka in an away series and three at home against England in early February before the Champions Trophy.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah with India’s head coach Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup final at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Indian cricket team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Monday but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid.

Former opener Gautam Gambhir is expected to succeed Dravid as the India head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee has also conducted the interviews for the high-profile job and short-listed Gambhir and former India women’s coach W.V. Raman.

The appointment of a selector will also be made soon, said Shah, who is in the Caribbean with the India squad that won the T20 World Cup title on Saturday, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final.

“Both coach and selector appointment will be made shortly. CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. V.V.S. Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series,” Shah tld select media, referring to the Zimbabwe tour beginning July 6.

The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and as many ODIs starting July 27.

Seniors’ presence helped India

Shah showed his elation after India won an ICC title after 11 years here on Saturday. He praised the efforts of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final.

Both the stalwarts announced their retirement from T20Is after the triumph and were joined by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in saying goodbye to the format a day later.

“It was same captain last year and same here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title.

“If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference, in World Cups you can’t experiment much also.

“A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players,” he said.

How does he see the transition panning out following the retirement of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja?

“Transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” Shah said.

India, who had built a reputation of losing the big finals over the past decade, finally ended their title drought after losing two ICC finals over the last 12 months and Shah hoped the winning run will continue.

“I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises.

“The way this team is progressing, our target is to win World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” said Shah.

On Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance in the World Cup and chances of him taking over captaincy from Rohit, Shah said: “Captaincy will be decided by the selectors and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself.”

India A to tour Australia

Shah also confirmed that an A team will be travelling to Australia later in the year ahead of the five Tests Down Under.

The BCCI is planning a felicitation after reaching India but the Hurricane warning has shut down the airport in Barbados indefinitely, leaving the victorious squad stranded.

“Like you we are also stuck here. After the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation,” said Shah.

Bridgetown:

As soon as India won the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup title with a tight seven-run win over South Africa at the Kensington Oval, one couldn’t help but go back to the words BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said all the way back in February this year.

“Everybody had been waiting for my statement on the World Cup. In 2023, India did not win the World Cup after winning 10 matches straight, but we won hearts. But I want to make a promise that in 2024, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India will win the T20 World Cup in Barbados,” Mr Shah had said ahead of the renaming of SCA Stadium in Rajkot as the Niranjan Shah Stadium before the third India-England Test happened in February.

On Saturday, Mr Shah’s words came true in front of his eyes as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah propelled India to make another stunning turnaround from the equation reading 30 runs needed off 30 balls to win by seven runs and end a 11-year trophy drought, as well as clinch their second Men’s T20 World Cup title.

When scenes of jubilation and emotion panned out after the title triumph was sealed, former India head coach Ravi Shastri made a mention of Mr Shah’s prophecy at Rajkot in February coming true in Barbados and called him ‘Nostradamus’ on air.

Coming to the match, Hardik Pandya’s 3-20 and Jasprit Bumrah’s 2-18 helped an unbeaten India to come back and clinch their second title in the shortest format. Talismanic batter Virat Kohli stepped up to end his lean run with a 59-ball 76 to help India post a competitive 176/7, the highest total in a Men’s T20 World Cup final.

His 72-run stand for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, who made 47 off 31 balls, and a 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who hit a 16-ball 27, helped India go past 175-run mark, as they got 42 runs off the last three overs.

In reply, South Africa were very much in sight to chase down the total. But Hardik taking out Heinrich Klaasen propelled India to come back into the match and emerge victorious to end a long 11-year global trophy drought as they restricted South Africa to 169/8.

India now join West Indies and England as two-time winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and also gave a winning farewell to head coach Rahul Dravid. It also meant that Virat Kohli signed off from playing T20Is for India on a high with the World Cup trophy and the Player of the Match award in the final.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)