Newly appointed International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah departed for Australia amid ongoing issues regarding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. His departure to attend the 2032 Olympics meet has raised questions, especially since discussions surrounding the Champions Trophy were left incomplete.
Jay Shah began his tenure as the ICC Chairman, on December 1. The 36-year-old is the youngest ever to hold the position and the fifth Indian to do so. Shah was elected unopposed, replacing Greg Barclay, who served as ICC chairman since November 2020. His term is for two years and can be extended twice.
Watch: ICC Chairman Jay Shah Meets 2032 Olympics Organising Committee
The former BCCI secretary has arrived in Brisbane to participate in a meeting with the 2032 Brisbane Olympics Organising Committee. Shah played a key role in getting cricket included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He is set to advocate for the sport’s continued presence in the Brisbane Olympics program.
On Thursday, Shah attended the Brisbane 2032 Olympic committee meeting and shared glimpses of the event in a short video on social media. He expressed excitement about cricket’s involvement in the Olympics in the post.
“Very exciting time ahead for cricket’s involvement in the Olympics movement – a meeting with the @Brisbane_2032 organizing committee in Brisbane, Australia today,” Shah wrote in his post on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) about the meeting.
Very exciting time ahead for Cricket’s involvement in the Olympics movement – a meeting with the @Brisbane_2032 organizing committee in Brisbane, Australia today.@ICC | @Olympics | @CricketAus | @BCCI | #brisbane2032 pic.twitter.com/JVyMbkCYrz
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) December 12, 2024
Jay Shah’s Sudden Trip to Australia Raises Questions in Pakistan Media
Shah’s sudden trip to Australia has raised questions, particularly regarding the timing, as discussions around the Champions Trophy 2025 remain unresolved. Last week, the ICC agreed in principle to host next year’s ICC 50-over tournament in a hybrid format, with Team India playing its matches in Dubai.
The PCB is advocating for a similar hybrid model for future ICC tournaments scheduled in India. The BCCI has agreed to play Pakistan’s group matches at neutral venues but made it clear that knockout matches will be played in India. India will next host the T20 World Cup, with Sri Lanka as the co-host.
Jay Shah to Witness the Third Test Match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The Indian men’s cricket team is currently in Australia for the five-match Test series. They started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 with a 295-run victory in Perth. However, they failed to maintain their winning momentum as Australia made a strong comeback with a 10-wicket win in Adelaide.
With the series tied 1-1, the focus now shifts to the crucial third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting on Saturday, December 14. Both teams will aim to take the lead and boost their chances of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.