Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, has been in the news due to the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosting conundrum. Amidst this, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali claimed that Jay Shah is set to take over ICC as its chairman soon before the Champions Trophy is to be played.
Despite Pakistan retaining the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) starting preparations for the event, which include stadium upgrades, India’s participation is doubtful.
According to recent sources, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may propose that the International Cricket Council (ICC) transfer India’s Champions Trophy matches to a neutral venue, as the Indian government is expected to deny consent for the team’s journey to Pakistan.
However, before that, the ICC has to hold the elections for its chairman post and Jay Shah is one of the candidates. Greg Barclay, the incumbent ICC President, may seek another term, adding to the race’s complexities.
Previously, a report in the PTI news agency indicated that one of the primary topics of interest for everyone at the ICC was when Shah took over the reins of the global body.
Basit Ali claims Jay Shah will become ICC chairman before Champions Trophy 2025
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali believes Jay Shah will be the future chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to the 53-year-old, Shah, the current Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is fully on track to occupy the hot seat in November.
‘Let me give you breaking news: In the coming few months, Jay Shah will be the ICC Chairman,’ said Basit Ali on his YouTube channel on Wednesday night.
While Shah’s candidacy has not been officially announced, his important responsibilities in Indian cricket and the International Cricket Council make him a viable contender. Shah’s position as BCCI Secretary gives him considerable power in the cricketing world. The BCCI is well-known as one of the ICC’s most powerful full-member nations.
Earlier, Basit Ali claimed that all the countries were just puppets of the BCCI and would do whatever the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said.
“5-6 boards jo haina dum hilate huye woh baat karenge jo Jay Shah bolenge (Those 5-6 boards just follow whatever Jay Shah says). PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has been given a lollipop. Basically, he’s been told (by other boards) that after the Champions Trophy, we (Pakistan) should play a bilateral series against India. Whether it’s in Australia or England, they’ll (other boards) convince India to play,” said Basit on his Youtube Channel.
“If he says the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan, they’ll agree. If he says it’ll be a hybrid model, they’ll go with that too. It’s because when their players play in the IPL, BCCI pays their boards a huge amount whether it’s the English board, New Zealand board, West Indies board, or Australian board,” Ali stated.
According to the draft schedule given to the International Cricket Council, Pakistan has scheduled all of India’s games at Lahore. However, the timeline is expected to change once India confirms its unwillingness to travel to the country.
Also Read: India To Deny Participation For Champions Trophy 2025? PCB Insider Drops Bombshell Update