 "Jay Shah had been elected unopposed to the role of ICC Chair in August, becoming the third Indian to do so. Reuters")
The post of secretary in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been lying vacant ever since Jay Shah succeeded Greg Barclay as the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman, leading to a power vacuum of sorts in the most powerful cricket board in the world. The secretary is the most powerful office-bearer in the BCCI following a constitutional amendment in 2022, having “all powers in relation to cricketing and non-cricketing matters”, and appointing Shah’s successor will be a priority for the board in order to ensure things continue to run smoothly.
Shah had been elected unopposed to the post of ICC chairman in August, becoming the youngest person to lead the world governing body for the sport at the age of 35 as well as the third Indian to do so. Since Shah’s exit, BCCI joint-secretary Devjit Saikia and Gujarat Cricket Association’s (GCA) Anil Patel are widely considered the front-runners for the secretary’s post.
Delhi and Districts Cricket Association’s (DDCA) Rohan Jaitley, son of former Union minister Arun Jaitley, was also seen as a possible contender , but his chances of succeeding Shah remain a speculation for now.
“We don’t know what is happening. Everyone (BCCI officials and state units) is quiet on the matter. Most likely joint secretary (Saikia) will be interim for the time being,” a BCCI administrator told PTI.
“There are issues that need to be dealt with on a day to day basis and anyone who comes in, needs to have a bit of knowledge on how the BCCI is run,” he added.
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More ShortsA senior official with a state unit added that the appointment should have been complete in September itself, a month after Shah was elected ICC Chair.
“Transition should have been complete by now. The secretary has to sign majority of documents. This matter should have been taken up at the AGM (in September) but nobody questioned at that time,” said the official.
“There is a power vacuum right now at the BCCI, the most powerful cricketing body in the world,” added another office-bearer of a state unit.
From the time an elected officer-bearer resigns, the BCCI has a total of 45 days to call for a Special General Meeting (SGM) and appoint his/her successor, which in the current scenario would translate to mid-January.
The person appointed to the role will be in charge for less than a year, with the three-year term of the current office-bearers coming to an end in September next year.