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What Jay Shah has done for Indian cricket is commendable: Gavaskar
Follow UsThe former India skipper believes that the BCCI secretary is unfairly criticised due to his father's political position
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels BCCI secretary Jay Shah's contribution to Indian cricket has been commendable. Gavaskar believes Shah gets unfairly criticised for his father Amit Shah's "political position."
Under Shah, the Women's Premier League (WPL) was launched and has been successful for two seasons. He also introduced equal pay for men and women cricketers, among others. “Look, I think the quality of governance has always been such that they’ve aimed to promote Indian cricket,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“There will always be the occasional individual who might be a bit disappointing. But I think what the current leadership has done is quite outstanding. Many people criticise Jay Shah, focusing on his father’s political position rather than his contributions.
"However, what Jay Shah has achieved — like bringing in the Women’s Premier League, ensuring equal pay for the Women’s team as the Men’s, increasing fees for IPL players, and significantly boosting incentives — is commendable. Unfortunately, some refuse to give him credit due to a political agenda,” he added.
Gavaskar does not believe that BCCI should be run strictly by someone who has played cricket at some level before. He feels passionate people like Shah can do a good job of running the day-to-day affairs well.
“From my experience, those who genuinely love cricket often do more for Indian cricket than those who have played it. This might be surprising, but people who are passionate about the game, even if they haven’t played at the highest level, tend to contribute more effectively when guided properly. Conversely, some former players sometimes remain fixated on their era, resisting changes that benefit the current generation,” he said.
“So, I believe that while former cricketers are invaluable for addressing technical issues — like game rules and improving the Ranji Trophy’s competitiveness—the administration and financial management should be left to the experts."
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