Rohan Jaitley emerges as front-runner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI Secretary

Delhi & District Cricket Association president Rohan Jaitley is reportedly in line to replace Jay Shah as the next BCCI secretary.

Rohan Jaitley will be succeeding Jay Shah only if the latter files his nomination for the post of next International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman. Shah is presently the front-runner to replace Greg Barclay as the next ICC chief. With Barclay deciding against extending his tenure as the ICC chairman, Shah could become the next ICC chairman in the coming days.

"ICC Chair Greg Barclay confirmed to the Board that he will not stand for a third term and will step down from the post when his current tenure finishes at the end of November. Barclay was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020, before being re-elected in 2022," the ICC stated in a media release.

The last date for filing nominations for the ICC chairman's post is Tuesday (August 27). As per reports, Shah has the support of 16 out of 15 members of the ICC board. Consequently, the elections for the next ICC chairman look like a mere formality at the moment.

The current rules require a candidate to secure a simple majority of nine votes (51%) to win the ICC chairman election. Previously, a candidate needed a two-thirds majority to win. If Shah applies for the post, the election will likely result in his unopposed victory.

Rohan Jaitley to succeed Jay Shah:

Dainik Bhaskar has reported that Rohan Jaitley is the front-runner to replace Jay Shah if the latter decides to leave BCCI for the ICC. The report also stated that although Jay Shah will be vacating his post, the other BCCI officials including president Roger Binny will be continuing in their roles since they have another year remaining in their respective terms.

Shah is already an important member of ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) sub-committee. If he decides to become the president of the governing body of the game, he will not be the first Indian to head the ICC.

In the past, the likes of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar plied their trades as ICC chairman. 35-year-old Shah is also in line to become the youngest-ever ICC chairman.