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Follow UsAt 35, Jay Shah became the youngest to be appointed ICC chairman, but not before he made a lasting impression as the BCCI secretary in his five years at the helm. While no replacement has been named for him yet, but according to reports, Rohan Jaitley is the most likely candidate to take over.
With that, let us examine some of the major developments during his tenure and the immediate challenges that lie ahead as the ICC chairman.
Introduction of WPL
While the wheels might have been set in motion earlier, the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) was played in 2023 under BCCI secretary Shah. The tournament has seen two successful seasons so far, and the hope is that it will have the same impact on Indian cricket as the Indian Premier League (IPL) has.
Equal pay
In 2022, Jay Shah announced equal pay for men and women cricketers. According to the payment structure, the players will be paid INR 15 lakh per Test, 6 lakh for ODIs and 3 lakh for T20Is.
"I’m pleased to announce BCCI's first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket," Shah had tweeted.
Increase in Domestic Player Salaries
The outgoing BCCI secretary announced a long-standing salary increase for Indian domestic cricketers in 2021. According to the salary revision, since the 2021-22 season, Ranji cricketers who have played more than 40 matches are receiving ₹60,000 per day, while those who have played 21 to 40 matches are being paid ₹50,000. Players with less experience are entitled to a remuneration of ₹40,000 per day.
Then how was that different from the previous one? Between 2016 to 2020, a senior domestic cricketer used to earn INR 1,40,000 from a four-day Ranji Trophy game if he was in the playing XI and exactly half the amount if on the bench.
The 2021 model, introduced by the BCCI, was designed as an equitable force with players with 40-plus caps to their name standing to gain a 71% hike and players with less than 20 games on their resume gaining a 14.28% raise. Once players bag 20 caps, they will receive 50,000 rupees per day before jumping to the next bracket.
Increase in monthly pensions
Under Sourav Ganguly (BCCI president) and Shah, the BCCI introduced a hike in monthly pensions of former cricketers (men and women) and former umpires in 2022. The hike, which took effect from June 1 2022, was between 40-200%.
“The welfare of our cricketers, be it former or present, is a top priority, and increasing pension amounts is a step in that direction. The BCCI values the contribution the umpires have made over the years and this is one way to express our gratitude for their diligent services to Indian Cricket. A total of around 900 personnel will get the benefit of the scheme with more than 75% of the beneficiaries getting a 100 % raise," Shah had said while making the announcement.
Test Cricket Incentive scheme
Following India's commanding 4-1 Test series win over England at home earlier this year, Shah announced a Test cricket incentive scheme was applied right from the 2023-24 season. Through this scheme, the more Tests the players played in a season, the higher the money. Till now, the money involved in the IPL was unmatched until this initiative, which could now persuade the players to focus on playing more Tests.
"This scheme is not only designed to encourage players to engage in the purest format of the sport but also addresses the evolving dynamics of the cricketing landscape, ensuring parity with match fees in other formats and league cricket," Shah said on this initiative
Prize money for junior and senior performances in domestic cricket
Recently, Shah announced that prize money would be introduced for all Players of the Match and Players of the Tournament in all Women's and junior cricket programs. In addition, prize money will also be awarded to the Player of the Match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
"This initiative aims to recognize and reward outstanding performances in the domestic circuit," Shah said.
New NCA
Due to COVID-19, the construction of the new National Cricket Academy (NCA) was halted, but it is all but set to take shape sooner rather than later. This was one of the first initiatives Shah took charge of when he was appointed the BCCI secretary, and it is finally coming to fruition at the end of his tenure.
"The new NCA will feature three world-class playing grounds, 45 practice pitches, indoor cricket pitches, Olympic-size swimming pool and state-of-the-art training, recovery and sports science facilities," Shah said.
Shah said that the new NCA will be open to all the Olympians like Neeraj Chopra, not just the cricketers.
What are some of the early challenges for Shah as ICC chairman?
Will the Champions Trophy be played in Pakistan?
While Shah was the ACC president when Pakistan were approved as hosts for the Champions Trophy next year, there is still a cloud hanging over whether that tournament would go ahead there. The reason behind that is India have not confirmed their participation, which could lead to the tournament being shifted out of the country or be played in a hybrid setting as they did during the Asia Cup last year. That would effectively see India playing all their matches at a neutral venue.
Continuation of WTC cycles
The three cycles, including the ongoing one, have been largely successful. However, Shah's challenge would be to check the feasibility of including more teams in the competition. If not that, there have been arguments for a tier-2 Test competition involving 5-6 teams. The successful team gets to play in the WTC, with one team from the WTC dropping down — as we have seen in football leagues.
Challenges to keep Test cricket alive
He may have incentivized playing Test cricket for Indian players, but can he do it again at a higher level? It was reported that the ICC would adapt Cricket Australia's suggestion to set up a Test fund, the contribution to which would be made by the big three nations — India, England and Australia.
"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. We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelised towards this goal," Shah said after being named as the next ICC chairman.
LA Olympics
While the next Olympics are still four years away, the ICC will have to take all necessary steps to ensure that cricket's popularity rises in the US and across the globe. The first step to doing that was the US hosting the T20 World Cup 2024, and in the years to come, the ICC might look for ways to increase the sports' popularity in those regions ahead of the Olympics in Los Angeles, where cricket will be played for the first time since 1900.
"I eagerly anticipate a tenure rich with collaborative efforts, striving to dismantle the barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress," Shah said.
"Every challenge we face is an opportunity in disguise, and together, we will transform adversity into triumph."
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