Jay Shah starts tenure as youngest International Cricket Council chair

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Jay Shah started his tenure as the youngest International Cricket Council chair on Sunday with a looming decision on a venue for the Champions Trophy yet to be announced by the game’s governing body.

Shah, 36, was elected unopposed as the ICC chair in August and takes over from Greg Barclay of New Zealand.

“I am honoured to take on the role of ICC chair and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC directors and member boards,” Shah said in an ICC statement. “This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide."

Shah has previously served as chair of the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee and as president of the Asian Cricket Council. He was also secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

There’s an impasse over Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start in February after the BCCI informed the ICC last month that its government has not allowed the cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the eight-team event.

India hasn’t toured Pakistan since 2008 when it played in the Asia Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it wants to stage all of the Champions Trophy games in Pakistan and refuses to share hosting rights to accommodate its rival after it sent its team to the 2023 World Cup in India.