Jay Shah Poised for Extended ICC Chairmanship

Jay Shah is set to assume the role of ICC chair on December 1, and his tenure could potentially span two terms of three years each, deviating from the current structure of three two-year terms. This follows a recommendation by the ICC Board during their meeting in Dubai over the weekend, where they suggested extending the terms for both the chair and the independent director.

The ICC issued a statement on Monday confirming that this recommendation will now be circulated for approval among Full and Associate Members. Although the board did not publicly explain the reasoning behind this change, it is believed to be aimed at enhancing governance. The proposal is intended to provide greater stability and continuity by reducing the frequency of elections, allowing both the chair and the independent director to focus on their roles without the concern of elections every two years. Despite the term adjustment, the overall tenure of six years remains unchanged, ensuring continued leadership consistency.

At 35, Shah was elected unopposed to replace outgoing ICC chair Greg Barclay, who completed two of his possible three terms since his election in 2020. Meanwhile, the independent director position has been vacant since former Pepsico chair Indra Nooyi completed her three terms earlier this year.

There were also changes within the ICC men's cricket committee. New Zealand businessman Scott Weenink has been appointed as the Full Member representative, while Scott Edwards, the Netherlands captain, has been named Associate Member representative.

Women’s FTP for 2025-2029 and New Developments

The ICC Board has approved the women's future tours programme (FTP) for the 2025-2029 cycle, with the official announcement expected soon. This will be the second FTP for women, following the first one revealed in 2022.

Additionally, the ICC chief executives' committee (CEC) agreed to shift the women’s rankings annual update from October 1 to May 1. To be ranked, teams will now need to play a minimum of eight matches per format, an increase from the current requirement of six, reflecting the growing volume of women’s cricket.

The pathway for Associate teams to achieve ODI status has also been formaliыed. Currently, 16 women’s teams hold ODI status, including 11 Full Members and five Associate Members—Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, and the USA. For the 2025-2029 cycle, the top two Associate teams qualifying for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup qualifier will earn ODI status. The remaining three spots will be determined based on T20I rankings at the time of the annual update in May 2025, meaning their ODI status will be influenced by their T20I performances.

In another development, the ICC has approved the creation of two annual T20I tournaments for Associate teams between 2025 and 2028, designed to enhance competition ahead of the 16-team Women’s T20 World Cup in 2030.