Jay Shah’s ascension to the International Cricket Council (ICC) as its independent chairman has left a hole in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hierarchy with no clear indication as to who would succeed him as secretary.

At 35, Shah will be the youngest ICC chief and will take charge at its headquarters in Dubai on December 1. It’s assumed that he can occupy the BCCI secretary’s position till November 30, though it would be prudent if his successor is chosen at the annual general meeting in September.

Back in 2016, when Shashank Manohar was elected the ICC chairman unopposed, he resigned as BCCI president days after the nomination process began. He also quit as BCCI’s representative on the ICC board of directors since the new chairman had to be independent and could no longer hold a position with the home board.

The ICC rules are ambiguous in this respect. Rule 3.2 (A) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association state that “the Chairperson (who must be either a current or former Director) shall be elected by the Board of Directors every two years. During his/her term of appointment, the Chairperson is not permitted to hold any office under, or perform any executive or operational duties for any Member or any state,
association or member (or similar) of any Member.”

It, however, doesn’t clarify if the chairman can hold any office in a member board during the transition period.

If Shah decides to continue till November, the BCCI will have another 60 days to elect its new secretary through a special general meeting.

But who will replace Shah in his home board is still uncertain. “Shah will himself take a call on the issue. Things will be clear as to when we will have a new secretary once the agenda for the AGM is circulated among the members,” a BCCI official told The Telegraph.

Several names, including treasurer Ashish Shelar, joint secretary Devajit Saikia, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, IPL governing council member Avishek Dalmiya, Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah and Delhi & District Cricket Association president Rohan Jaitley, have been doing the rounds.

Shelar, a Maharashtra BJP strongman, has reportedly expressed his unwillingness to take up the post citing commitments, but not many are convinced. Jaitley too is apparently not keen at the moment.

Dhumal could be an ideal choice in the circumstances given his wealth of experience. Former IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla can fill in for him if need be.

It is widely believed that Shah’s successor will be from his home turf and Gujarat Cricket Association president Dhanraj Nathwani is being talked about in several quarters. However, his elevation could lead to a conflict of interest issue since Nathwani is associated with the Reliance group and Mumbai Indians are owned by Indiawin Sports Private Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

The secretary’s role will demand a lot of time and commitment and whether Nathwani agrees to such responsibility remains to be seen.

The BCCI decision-making process is known for its unpredictability and has often thrown up unexpected personnel for prime positions. But one thing is certain: the new secretary will be Shah’s trusted lieutenant.