NEW DELHI: The upcoming
ICC Annual Conference
in Colombo, starting on Friday, will be a significant event for the cricketing world. All eyes will be on BCCI secretary
Jay Shah
, as there might be serious discussions about when he will take over from New Zealander
Greg Barclay
as the chairman of the global body.
One of the major topics expected to dominate the conference is the financial losses incurred by the ICC for hosting
T20 World Cup
games in the United States of America.
Reports suggest that the losses amount to more than USD 20 million. While the nine-point agenda of the AGM does not explicitly include the financial details, it will be discussed as a "post-event report," which is a standard operating procedure.
The appointment of ICC's new external auditor is also on the agenda, along with discussions on
ICC memberships
, reports from associate members' meetings, and the presentation of ICC development awards.
An important issue that is not part of the ICC Board's official agenda but may be brought up under "Any Other Business" is India's decision not to travel to Pakistan for the
Champions Trophy
.
According to an ICC source, one of the main areas of interest for everyone at the ICC is when Jay Shah will take over the reins of the world body. The source stated, "It is not about how but when, as he still has one year left as
BCCI secretary
before his cooling off period in Indian board starts in 2025 as per constitution. However, if he has to take over in 2025, then Barclay can't complete his third term of two years from December 2024 to December 2026."
There is speculation that the ICC's chairmanship term could be changed from three terms of two years each to two terms of three years, allowing the cumulative term to remain six years.
This would enable Shah to complete his six years as BCCI secretary and take over as ICC chairman in 2025 for three years when he will be in a cooling-off period in the BCCI. Subsequently, in 2028, he could return and take over as the board president.