Sachin hails Jay Shah

The newly-elected ICC Chairman Jay Shah’s efforts as BCCI secretary in giving equal priority to men’s and women’s cricket have made the Indian board a “pioneer” for other governing bodies of the game to follow, reckoned legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday.

Shah will leave BCCI after a five-year stint, which began in October 2019, to take over as the independent chairman of the International Cricket Council from December 1. Tendulkar joined many former and current players to extend his wishes to Shah, who will be the youngest ICC chairman in history at the age of 35.

“Being enthusiastic and having the drive to do something good for cricket are essential qualities for a cricket administrator. @JayShah displayed these traits wonderfully during his stint as @BCCI secretary,” Tendulkar wrote on X.

Shah will be the fifth Indian to head the ICC and Tendulkar hoped that he would be able to carry the legacy forward. “India has sent several luminaries to lead the ICC as administrators: Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar. I am sure he will build on their legacy and take the game of cricket forward,” he added.