New ICC Chairperson Jay Shah to hold first meeting as Champions Trophy fate hangs in balance

India’s Jay Shah is all set to take charge of his first meeting as the chairperson of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday (Dec 5) as he begins the new term. Shah officially took office on Dec 1 succeeding Greg Barclay and became the latest Indian personality to head the ICC. While his first meeting will be part of officially taking over the office, the suspense surrounding the Champions Trophy could be on the table.

Shah to host first meeting

After Barclay pulled out of the race for the top spot in ICC in September, Shah became the chairperson of the ICC board of directors with office officially beginning on Dec 1. Shah will be joined by the 16 directors of the ICC on Thursday as they aim to start the functioning of his reign. However, the main focus could be the Champions Trophy as the schedule is yet to be confirmed despite less than 90 days remaining for the coveted tournament to start.

As things stand, the tournament is set to go ahead in a hybrid model which has been accepted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). However, their latest demands have not gone well with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and other members of the ICC. PCB has conveyed that they won’t be traveling to India for any ICC events in the future and will play in a hybrid model against their arch-rivals.

However, according to the report the demand was denied by all the members present which include 12 full member nations, three associate nations and the ICC Chairman.

If the hybrid model is made official, India is likely to play its matches in UAE or Sri Lanka with Pakistan hosting the rest of the tournament. One of the semifinals and the final of the Champions Trophy will also take place in hybrid model to accommodate India, in case they reach the later stages of the tournament.