For ICC Chairman Jay Shah, two decisions stand out among the many game-changing moves the BCCI made during his tenure as board secretary: launching the Women’s Premier League and introducing pay parity.
Shah assumed office in October 2019, and under his leadership, the board also oversaw a record-breaking IPL media-rights deal that made the league the second-most valuable sporting property in the world.
Shah received the Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to women’s cricket at the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year ceremony in New Delhi on Friday.
“After December 2024, I became ICC President, and I have to be careful with what I say. So let me take you back to before 1 December 2024. On 23 October 2019, I took charge as Secretary of the BCCI. From 23 October 2019 to 1 December 2024, we took several decisions,” Shah said after receiving the award.
“This was the period where we strengthened the domestic structure. We implemented pay parity. We launched the WPL. We secured media rights worth Rs 50,000 crore – without controversy. Getting Rs 50,000 crore without controversy is a big thing today,” he added.
He highlighted how improved domestic infrastructure has translated into stronger overseas performances.
“We built the National Cricket Academy with 2 million square feet of construction. The facilities there match Cape Town, Sydney, Melbourne, and Lord’s – every pitch type is available. That’s why our teams’ performances are improving. We made many decisions like this, but my two favourite ones are pay parity and the launch of the WPL,” Shah said.
Shah also praised India women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, present at the event, for leading India to a historic ICC Women’s World Cup triumph.
“I again want to congratulate Harman and the entire team. You have won the heart of the whole nation. You’ve even pushed the men, made them compete, and put them under pressure,” he said.
He further recalled India’s heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal in South Africa and said that Harmanpreet’s team has taken its revenge.
“Harman, you will remember, and Mithali di (Mithali Raj), you were doing commentary in Cape Town in February 2023, when Jemimah and Harman fought against a strong Australian team, giving a very tough fight. We completed that unfinished task at DY Patil Stadium (beating Australia in the ODI World Cup semifinal),” he said.
