The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has won the Sports Business of the Year at the Sports Business Awards 2023, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry. Jay was appointed to the post of Secretary by board members of BCCI in 2019 and he was reelected for the same position in October 2022.
BCCI took to social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Jay Shah for winning the award, saying that his leadership has left an indelible mark on the cricketing world.
“CONGRATULATIONS to BCCI Honorary Secretary @JayShah on being awarded the Sports Business Leader of the Year Award at the @FollowCII Sports Business Awards 2023. A first for any leader in Indian Sports administration, this recognition is truly deserved!
“His leadership has left an indelible mark on Cricket worldwide— spearheading the ICC Men's World Cup to new heights, championing inclusivity with significant strides in pay parity and the creation of the Women's Premier League, steering the inclusion of Cricket at the Olympics, and many more groundbreaking initiatives that have changed the game forever!” BCCI tweeted
Jay Shah began his career in cricket administration as joint secretary at Gujarat Cricket Association in 2009. Following his stint at GCA, the 35-year-old took over the role of Secretary at BCCI at the age of 31 in 2019.
Jay Shah brought pay parity in Indian Cricket
As a Secretary, Jay Shah played a crucial role in promulgating pay parity in Indian cricket. The pay parity has allowed Indian women cricketers to receive the same match fees as their male counterparts, according to BCCI central contracts. With this, Indian cricket became the second to implement equal pay.
Shah also extended his vision to introduce Women’s Premier League (WPL) and its first season was played in 2022. With these two initiatives, it has not only boosted the image of women’s cricket in India but also set a benchmark for other sports bodies in the country to follow.
