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SPORTS AUGUST 30, 2024 | The Indian Eye 46

Jay Shah all set to chair ICC as body

looks to give a boost to Test cricket

Test cricket set to get boost from Australian initiative of multimillion-dollar fund

OUR BUREAU all the players and will also help in
paying of costs for overseas tours for
Mumbai
struggling teams. Notably, West In-
ay Shah, the current secretary of dies spent one million USD in send-
the Board of Control for Cricket ing the men’s and women’s teams to
Jin India (BCCI), has emerged the tour of Australia last summer.
as the leading candidate to succeed Cricket Australia chairman Mike
Greg Barclay as the International Baird, who raised the idea back in
Cricket Council (ICC) chair. January, is happy that it is going to be
The BCCI is confident that Shah embraced.
will be elected unopposed, given the “It is fantastic to see some mo-
widespread support he has received mentum behind the Test match
from various cricket boards, which fund,” Baird said as quoted by Syd-
have expressed their desire for him ney Morning Herald.
to lead the global cricket body, a top “We need to take away the bar-
source from the board has confirmed. riers and encourage Test cricket to
To secure his nomination, the be the best of the best. To retain that
ICC requires a proposer and a sec- history and that legacy, which goes
onder. Reports indicate that En- alongside the newer forms of white
gland and Australia are likely to back ball cricket,” he added.
Shah’s candidacy, further solidifying The concept of this fund has also
his bid for the top position. been well received by the Board of
According to ICC rules, each of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
the 16 current ICC directors must sub- secretary Jay Shah, who himself
mit their nominations by August 27 to called for a dedicated fund for long
be considered for the chairmanship. format game.
Greg Barclay, who is eligible to “There should be a dedicated
serve a third term of two years, has fund for Tests, whether it is 5 million
announced his decision not to seek USD, 10 million USD or more. It is
re-election, paving the way for Shah’s expensive to host teams for five-day
potential ascension. Tests, so we are preparing for it. If the
If Shah succeeds, he will become [ICC] board agrees, we are ready to
the youngest-ever ICC chief at the do it,” said Shah to Indian media this
age of 36. His election would also week.
make him the latest in a line of prom- The fund is unlikely to benefit di-
inent Indians who have held the pres- rectly the three most dominant pow-
tigious position, following in the foot- ers in world cricket, India, Australia
steps of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad and England.
Pawar, N. Srinivasan, and Shashank Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Jay Shah The move to start a Test fund
Manohar. started after South Africa sent a sec-
Currently, Jay Shah serves as the ond-string, inexperienced team to
BCCI-appointed ICC director and pions Trophy 2025 which will be held Most major cricketing nations tour New Zealand after most of its
chairs the ICC’s Finance and Com- in Pakistan, PCB has directed the are currently struggling in compe- big players were busy in the SA20
mercial Affairs sub-committee, one renovation of the National Stadium tition with lucrative T20 franchise season two.
of the most influential bodies with- in Karachi, Rawalpindi International leagues, including the Indian Pre- Former Aussie captain Steve
in the ICC. His leadership in these Cricket Stadium and Gaddafi Stadi- mier League (IPL), which have fi- Waugh had then lashed out at game’s
roles, coupled with the strong back- um in Lahore at the cost of Rs12.8 nancial benefits and pulling powers administrators, saying that they “do
ing from international cricket boards, billion, according to Geo News. big enough to attract some of the not care” about Test cricket.
places him in a favourable position to Meanwhile, an Australian initia- best players in the world. Australia Following Waugh’s statement,
guide the ICC in the coming years. tive aimed at forming a fund worth 15 is working closely with India and En- Baird agreed that action had to be
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket million USD or more to keep the best gland in order to form a strategy to taken.
Board (PCB) rubbished reports of players of the sport interested and boost the longest form of the game, “If we are in a position that na-
next year’s ICC Champions Trophy around in Test cricket looks set to be as per Sydney Morning Herald. tional teams are not being prioritised,
being rescheduled. adopted by the International Cricket This fund will make sure that a then we have got a lot of work to do,”
Ahead of the upcoming Cham- Council (ICC). minimum Test payment is given to Baird said.

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