Jay Shah, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary has been named one of the 13 founding members of the newly established World Cricket Connects advisory board, which will replace the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) World Cricket Committee that had served the sport since 2006.
Chaired by former MCC president Kumar Sangakkara, the advisory board boasts an impressive lineup of global cricket leaders and will steer discussions on the sport’s future. The group’s first major engagement will be the second World Cricket Connects forum, scheduled for June 7 and 8 ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
The MCC aims to use the new advisory board to address pressing issues in global cricket, offering a platform for discussion and decision-making. Unlike its predecessor, which lacked formal authority, this board aspires to deliver actionable insights with a greater focus on making an impact.
Below is the complete list of founding members:
| Name | Role/Designation |
|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | Chair, Former MCC President |
| Anurag Dahiya | ICC Chief Commercial Officer |
| Chris Dehring | CEO, Cricket West Indies (CWI) |
| Sourav Ganguly | Former BCCI President |
| Sanjog Gupta | CEO (Sports), JioStar |
| Mel Jones | Former Australia Women’s Cricketer |
| Heather Knight | England Women’s Captain |
| Trudy Lindblade | CEO, Cricket Scotland |
| Heath Mills | Chair, World Cricketers’ Association |
| Imtiaz Patel | Former Chair, SuperSport |
| Jay Shah | ICC Chair |
| Graeme Smith | Former South Africa Captain |
| Andrew Strauss | Former England Captain |
MCC underscored the board’s mission in its statement: “This independent group will shape the annual World Cricket Connects agenda, help facilitate event discussions, and maximize opportunities for genuine impact on the health of the game.”