Jay Shah can take cricket to the next level. The sport has started to make headway in a new and perhaps the world’s best market, the USA, after they decided to play the T20 World Cup 2024 in the nation. Although the USA got just 16 of the 55 matches, it was a great start. In 2028, cricket will again go there, marking its return to the Olympics after 128 years.
Future of cricket, in the hands of Jay Shah
Greg Barclay, the outgoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, believes that they have made great progress, but Jay Shah, who replaced him on December 1, can take things even further. He can take not just Indian but world cricket to a whole new level. Cricket is already the second most-watched sport, but in terms of money generated, it has a long way to go, and Barclay feels Jay Shah can take it there.
“I think he’s got a great opportunity to use what he’s got in his background to help India take the game to another level, but without making it sort of under the yoke of India as well. We’re really lucky to have India, they’re a massive contributor to the game across all the measures, but one country having that amount of power and influence does distort a whole lot of other outcomes, which is not necessarily helpful in terms of that global growth,” told the Telegraph.
“Jay has the ability to bring India into the international fold even more. There are a number of things that India could do to help unite and grow the game, including commercially helping to pool off-shore rights, using their teams to give opportunity to smaller full members and emerging countries, using their clout to open new territories and markets, collaborating closely with the ICC to help benefit members, as examples,” he added.
