Who will be next BCCI Secretary? Uncertainty looms after Jay Shah's ICC elevation; top contenders emerge

First Published Dec 4, 2024, 3:39 PM IST | Last Updated Dec 4, 2024, 3:39 PM IST

With Jay Shah assuming the role of the International Cricket Council's youngest chairman on December 1, the position of secretary in the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now vacant. As officials contemplate the next steps, they have time to deliberate on the future course of action.

Following a 2022 constitutional amendment, the BCCI secretary holds immense influence, possessing "all powers in relation to cricketing and non-cricketing matters," with the CEO working under their guidance.

Shah's unopposed election to the ICC top position in August has led stakeholders to closely monitor how the transition will unfold. Among the potential replacements for Shah in the BCCI are Gujarat's Anil Patel and the current BCCI joint secretary, Devjit Saikia. The name of Rohan Jaitley, president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), has also been mentioned, though it remains speculative.

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"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 was quoted as saying in a PTI report.

"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.

Once an elected office-bearer resigns, the BCCI has 45 days to convene a Special General Meeting and select a successor.

If this 45-day period is calculated from the day Jay Shah assumed his ICC role, the board has until mid-January to fill the vacancy.

Additionally, as per the constitution, the BCCI must appoint an electoral officer at least four weeks before the election.

A senior official from a state unit told the news agency that the board has sufficient time to manage the transition process.

"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," another office-bearer of a state unit told PTI.

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As the current three-year term of office-bearers concludes in September next year, the incoming BCCI secretary will hold the position for nearly a year.

There is still no clarity on who will serve as the BCCI's representative on the ICC Board, a role previously held by Jay Shah. Board president Roger Binny is currently listed as an alternate director.

Meanwhile, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal continues to represent India on the ICC's Chief Executives' Committee.

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