Jay Shah is likely to become the next ICC chairman, with 15 out of 16 members supporting him. However, it is not clear who will replace him as BCCI secretary if he joins the ICC. Shah has less than 96 hours to decide, as the last date for filing official nominations is August 27. The new ICC chairman will take charge on December 1. The mandatory three-year cooling-off period for a return to the richest cricket board will begin for Shah after his term ends in October 2025.
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These are the candidates who might replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary
1) Rajeev Shukla
There is a possibility that BCCI will reshuffle the posts and the current vice-president Shukla, who is also a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, may be asked to hold the post for a year. Shukla will have no objection in becoming the secretary as the BCCI vice-president is like a rubber-stamp.
2) Ashish Shelar
Maharashtra BJP veteran Shelar is the BCCI treasurer and a big name in MCA administration. Shelar is a skilled politician though and the BCCI secretary’s post is a time-consuming job, however, being an influential name, he can be included in the race.
3) Arun Dhumal
The IPL chairman has the necessary experience to run the board. He has been the treasurer and now heads the cash-rich league. Swapping positions between Dhumal and Shukla may be the easiest way out, but often the BCCI puts forward names that no one can imagine.
Young administrators like Rohan Jaitley, Dilsher Khanna, Vipul Phadke and Prabhtej Bhatia can also be considered. However, a former BCCI secretary said that the BCCI’s power structure generally prefers those who have been in the system, making it impossible for a new face to get the top post. Shah’s decision will set off a chain reaction, leaving his future plans unclear.
