Jay Shah, the influential figure in cricket, has become the subject of mockery after prominently featuring in a viral ICC social media video that aimed to celebrate South Africa’s victory in the World Test Championship. In the 45-second clip, Shah appears in 11 separate scenes, beginning with a shot of the Lord’s pavilion before he is seen entering the stadium.
Throughout the video, Shah is captured in various moments, including greeting and directing fans to their seats, clapping in the stands, engaging with notable figures like Temba Bavuma and Graeme Smith, and eventually presenting the trophy alongside Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada. Despite its initial deletion due to incorrectly tagging Cricket Australia, the video was reposted and quickly gained traction online.
Cricket journalist Gideon Haigh likened Shah’s enthusiastic display to a “Trumpesque parade,” commenting in Cricket et Al that what could have been a significant celebration of South Africa’s achievement felt overshadowed by Shah’s apparent self-promotion. He remarked on the inherent contrast between the essence of sportsmanship and the spectacle created around Shah, suggesting that the celebration had morphed into a platform for the ICC chairman to bask in admiration, complete with a personal videographer capturing every moment in dramatic slow motion.
This event has raised eyebrows over Shah’s rise within the cricketing world, having replaced Greg Barclay as chairman not long ago. Critics were quick to note the difference in public recognition styles, with one observer highlighting the absence of a dedicated “fan-cam” for Barclay. Since taking on the chairman role last December, Shah, who was previously the secretary of the BCCI, seems to have relished the spotlight, drawing mixed reactions from the cricket community.
While the World Test Championship final was meant to honour South Africa’s historic win, the ICC’s focus on Shah has detracted from the gravity of the moment, prompting discussion on the nature of leadership and representation in the sport. This incident not only reflects on Shah’s personal ambitions but also raises questions about the broader responsibilities of cricket’s governing bodies in promoting the sport’s values.