JAY SHAH appears to have the numbers in his favour to become the next ICC chairman, but questions remain about who will succeed him as BCCI secretary if he decides to take on the new role.
Shah reportedly has the backing of 15 out of 16 members of the ICC Board, but he has less than 96 hours to decide whether to make the move, with one year remaining in his second consecutive term as BCCI secretary.
The new ICC chairman is set to take office on December 1, and the deadline for filing nominations is August 27. If Shah decides to leave his BCCI position, a mandatory three-year cooling-off period would begin after his term ends in October 2025, delaying his potential return to the cricket board.
The big question, however, is who will step into Shah's shoes at the BCCI. Neither Shah nor those close to him have disclosed his immediate plans, leaving the field open for speculation about potential successors.
Among the possible candidates, Rajiv Shukla, the current BCCI vice-president and a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha, could be asked to take over for a year, given that the vice-president role is largely ceremonial.
Then there is Maharashtra BJP heavyweight Ashish Shelar, who is BCCI treasurer and big name in MCA administration. Shelar, however, is a consummate politician and BCCI secretaryship is a time consuming job, However, being an influential name, he could be in the mix.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has requisite experience to run the board. He has been a treasurer and now heads cash-rich league. Dhumal and Shukla swapping designations could be the easiest way out but often BCCI throws up names that no one could envisages.
There is joint secretary Devajit 'Lon' Saikia, not the most popular name but a vital cog in current BCCI administration, who could also be elevated.
Whatever be the permutation and combinations at play, there will be one new candidate in the office-bearers' list if Shah is officially ready to take the plunge.
Among the younger administrators, there is DDCA president Rohan Jaitley or former CAB president Avishek Dalmiya, whose names could come up for discussion. Other young state unit officials include Punjab's Dilsher Khanna, Goa's Vipul Phadke and Chattisgarh's Prabhtej Bhatia, a former IPL Governing Council member
Is there a chance that a completely new face gets the top job?
"Obviously, it can happen as there are no hard and fast rules. But if you look at BCCI's power structure, president, secretary and treasurer are three key posts," said a former BCCI secretary.
"There are people who have been in the system and someone just coming and bypassing them normally doesn't happen. But first, is Jay ready to go to the ICC? Even if he doesn't go now, he can go anytime," he added. (PTI)
