Jay Shah Joins World Cricket Connects Advisory Board (Source: @SaurabhXTweets/x.com)
World cricket is on its way to witnessing another revolutionary step. The World Cricket Connects Advisory Board has been formed to tackle the sport’s challenges while unlocking exciting opportunities for its future.
ICC Chairperson Jay Shah has joined the board and that has marked another era of his influential career as a cricket administrator. On June 7 and 8, the board will gather at Lord’s to shape the future of the sport.
Jay Shah Joins The Newly Formed Committee
After becoming the ICC Chairperson, former BCCI secretary Jay Shah embarked on another milestone in his career. He is set to participate in the ‘World Cricket Connects’ to share his mission and vision about the progression of the game. The Marylebone Cricket Club announced the prestigious event that will bring the influencers of the game together to reach the goal.
MCC Chairman Mark Nicholas will lead the board, which will be crucial in determining the future direction of cricket. The MCC has announced that the Connects Board will hold virtual sessions year-round to strategize for World Cricket Connects and will meet face-to-face right after the annual event.
What MCC Says About The Initiative?
The newly-formed Board replaces the MCC World Cricket Committee, which had been operational since 2006. The MCC acknowledged this important change in an official statement. The Statement says, “The forum, which proved hugely popular in bringing together influential people from across all aspects of cricket in its inaugural year in 2024, will be held ahead of the ICC World Test Championship Final between South Africa and Australia.”
“As the Club evolves the World Cricket Connects concept, the aim is for it to become the leading symposium in the game, facilitating the debate of strategic issues in an independent forum and establishing a consensus on paths to ensure cricket’s future success,” it added
“To achieve this objective, MCC has revealed today that a new World Cricket Connects Advisory Board (Connects Board) has been formed. This independent group will shape the annual World Cricket Connects agenda, help facilitate the event’s discussions, and in turn, maximize the opportunity for genuine impact on the health of the game.”
The Other Stars, Who Will Grace The Committee
Apart from Jay Shah, former Indian captain and former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has been named in the committee. Kumar Sangakkara, the former captain of Sri Lanka and past president of the MCC, is set to become the chairman of the newly formed board. Apart from them, Anurag Dahiya, Chief Commercial Officer at ICC will also grace the committee.
The other people are Sanjog Gupta (CEO-Sports, JioStar), Trudy Lindblade (CEO at Cricket Scotland), Heath Mills (Executive Chair at World Cricketers’ Association), Chris Dehring (CEO at West Indies Cricket), Imtiaz Patel (Former Chair of SuperSport, MultiChoice and DStv, and Andrew Strauss (Former England captain and former Director of Cricket at ECB), Mel Jones (Former Australia international and current broadcaster), Heather Knight (England women’s captain), Graeme Smith (Former South Africa captain and League Commissioner at SA20).