Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah on the radar for ICC chairman’s post later this year
Current incumbent Barclay to complete his first term in October before nomination begins
Kolkata: The speculation over Sourav Ganguly’s future as a cricket administrator has come under spotlight again - as his term as the President of BCCI is ending along with secretary Jay Shah - in October this year. The name of both the former Indian captain as well as Shah has cropped up as a potential candidate as the next chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC), the world governing body of the game, once the current incumbent Gregor Barclay ends his two-year term in October this year.
The ICC board, following their two-day meeting in Dubai last weekend, convinced New Zealander Barclay to complete his term till end of October before the global body starts its nomination process to find a new chairman - and the Indian cricket board is keen to play a big role this time with the 50-overs World Cup scheduled here in 2023.
The two-day board meeting, according to informed sources, was a win-win one for them as Barclay’s continuation till October gives them ample time to strategise whether it will field a candidate for the top post in the month of November. While it’s still premature to zero in on whom the BCCI will nominate for the top job, both Ganguly and Shah are interested to throw their hat in the ring - though there is no official confirmation from either. The name of Anurag Thakur, a former BCCI President and currently the Union Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, is also keen on the job as he meets the requirement of having attended ICC board meetings in the past.
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Interestingly, Jay Shah has been inducted into the ICC cricket committee in the Dubai conclave on Saturday-Sunday.
As per the ICC’s constitution, any present or former director who has attended at least one board meeting is eligible to run for the chairman’s position. ICC directors are each allowed to nominate one candidate and nominees with the support of two or more directors are eligible to contest. Shah, who is the alternate director on the ICC board after Ganguly, has already attended more than one meeting and hence qualifies.
The name of Ganguly was very much in contention in 2020 as a consensus candidate to step in as the successor to Shashank Manohar, who laid down office in end-June after completing two terms. The ICC constitution allows the chairman to be in office for an aggregate term of six years (three terms of two years each in all, not necessarily on consecutive years) but Manohar stepped down after two such terms - leaving the legacy of making the ICC a fair playground by scuttling the revenue sharing plans of the ‘Big Three.’
While Ganguly, who had taken over as the BCCI president in end-2019, had gone on record saying that there was still time for him to take up a global role once he is done with his BCCI tenure, the scenario is different now. Both Ganguly and Shah are ending their three-year tenure in October and it remains to be seen if they are required to go on a cooling off period as per the Justice Lodha Committee’ recommendations.
The BCCI is reportedly working on a succession plan if either of Ganguly or Shah gets into the ICC. Rohan Jaitley, the current Delhi and District Cricket Association president and son of former Union minister Arun Jaitley, is tipped to make his entry into the BCCI hierarchy as secretary.
Election of chairman
The ICC board comprises 17 directors: 12 full members, three directors representing the Associates, chairperson Barclay, the ICC chief executive officer (Geoff Allardice) and an independent woman director (Indra Nooyi). The CEO does not have a vote and for any resolution to be approved, the ICC constitution mandates a two-thirds majority or a minimum of 11 votes.
For nomination of a candidate for the chairman’s post, his or her name has to be recommended by the respective board while two of the board members of the ICC has to nominate the candidate for the process to begin.