Sanjog Gupta (R) has been named chief executive of the ICC (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty … More
Cricket’s worst kept secret was officially revealed on Monday when Sanjog Gupta was named chief executive of the International Cricket Council.
Gupta, the head of live sport at Indian broadcast Jiostar, assumes the role immediately and becomes the seventh chief of cricket’s governing body. He succeeds Australian Geoff Allardice, who resigned in January but had remained in the role in the meantime.
Allardice’s position had been under shaky ground late last year after an inquiry was launched over whether there was a cost blowout for the U.S. leg of June’s T20 World Cup.
With Allardice’s future appearing tenuous, Gupta had been bandied around as a possible replacement – as I first flagged in January. The ICC launched a global recruitment process in March, attracting more than 2500 applications, before a shortlist of 12 candidates.
But Gupta was always the clear frontrunner. “These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women’s game scale in popularity,” he said in a statement.
“I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket’s evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations.”
Gupta replaces Geoff Allardice in the role (Photo by Patrick Bolger-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Gupta is the first major appointment at the ICC since all-powerful Jay Shah became chair in December, with the pair having worked together before when Shah was at the helm of India’s mighty governing body.
India’s influence on the powerful ICC board and Chief Executives’ Committee will only strengthen amid cynicism over the apparent glorification of Shah since he stepped into the role.
“We considered several exceptional candidates for this position, but the Nominations Committee unanimously recommended Sanjog,” Shah said.
“Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets.”
Jay Shah is the ICC chair (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Gupta will step into the role just in time for a pivotal ICC Annual General Meeting in Singapore from July 17-20.
The festering relations between India and Pakistan, in the aftermath of renewed hostilities between the nuclear-armed countries, is set to be a major talking point at the meetings, with the fate of this year’s Asia Cup hanging in the balance.
There are also big picture issues such as the futures of cricket’s formats and continual fears over the financial health of smaller cricket nations.
The Indian governing body currently receives a big slice of the ICC’s revenue distribution model, 38.5 per cent or about $600 million annually, dwarfing every other nation – especially the combined share of the 96 Associates who get about two per cent.
Cricket, a British Commonwealth sport that has struggled to expand past traditional terrain, will gain vital exposure at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as it makes its Olympic return after just one previous appearance in 1900.
How the teams – six per gender in the T20 competitions – qualify has yet to be determined and will be up to the ICC, who are determined for cricket to become a permanent Olympic sport.
Gupta will play a major role in overseeing the sport’s long-awaited Olympic comeback in a major opportunity for cricket to legitimize its claims of being the second biggest sport in the world.
All eyes will be on the upcoming round of meetings in Singapore, which will attract all the major powerbrokers in world cricket, as a new era for the ICC begins.
