Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Jay Shah, was on Saturday unanimously elected as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The 32-year-old became the youngest administrator to be appointed as the ACC President. He replaced Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Najmul Hasan Papon.
While addressing the AGM, Shah said: "Formed with a view to organise, develop and promote the sport in the region, the ACC has steadily grown in stature." "The ACC continues to foster healthy rivalry among some of the biggest cricket playing nations while it also takes the sport deeper into the smaller pockets. We must remain committed to this cause and ensure there is an all-round development in the region," he added.
Shah said the challenge facing the cricket boards at the moment is resumption of women's and age-group cricket. "The pandemic has posed enormous challenges but history has shown that innovation often arises in periods of adversity and we must adapt and innovate to stay ahead," Shah said.
"While I have noticed that most Boards have again started their cricketing operations with their senior team, the challenge still remains with women's cricket and age-group cricket. The ACC has done pioneering work in both women's cricket and age-group with the multiple tournaments it conducts across the year and we must build on this," he added.
Meanwhile, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi scoffed after Jay Shah's appointment. "Meritocracy BJP style," he wrote on Twitter.
