Election of ICC Chairman: International Cricket Council (ICC) current chairman Greg Barclay on Tuesday withdrew from the race for a third term after his term ended on November 30, raising speculation about the future of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah in the sport’s global governing body.
Whether Shah will put forward his candidature for the post or not will be clear by August 27, which is the last date for filing nominations for the post of chairman. The ICC chairman is eligible for three terms of two years each and New Zealand lawyer Barclay has completed 4 years so far.
The ICC said in a media release, ‘ICC Chairman Greg Barclay has confirmed to the board that he will not stand for a third term and will step down when his current term ends at the end of November. Barclay was appointed as the independent chairman of the ICC in November 2020. He was re-elected to the post in 2022.’
These are the rules for ICC chairman
According to ICC rules, there are 16 votes in the election of the chairman and now a simple majority of nine votes (51%) is required for the winner. Earlier, the outgoing was required to have a two-thirds majority to become the chairman. The ICC said, ‘The current directors will now have to submit nominations for the next chairman by August 27, 2024 and if there is more than one candidate, then elections will be held and the term of the new chairman will start from December 1, 2024.’
Why is Jay Shah expected to become ICC chairman?
Shah is considered one of the most influential faces on the ICC board. He is currently the head of the ICC’s powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs sub-committee.
He has very good relations with most of the 16 voting members. Currently, Shah has one year left in his term as BCCI secretary, after which he will have to take a mandatory break (cooling off period) of three years from October 2025.
According to the BCCI constitution, approved by the Supreme Court, an official can hold office for six years before a three-year cooling-off period. In all, a person can hold office for a total of 18 years – nine in a state association and nine in the BCCI.
Will Shah become the youngest chairman?
If Shah decides to join the ICC with one year left in his secretary post, he will have four years left in the BCCI. At the age of 35, he could be the youngest chairman in the history of the ICC. Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar are Indians who have headed the ICC in the past.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)