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Former India captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the critics of BCCI secretary Jay Shah, saying 'political agendas' stop them from praising Shah for his efforts as the board's administrator.

Gavaskar said since Jay Shah happens to be India's Home Minister, Amit Shah's son, people hesitate to credit him for lifting Indian cricket to the position it enjoys in world cricket today

Gavaskar said Shah has played a significant role in the growth of Indian cricket, including ensuring equal pay for men's and women's teams, the launching of the Women's Premier League (WPL) and much more.

Meanwhile, Shah began his career in cricket administration with his stint at Gujarat Cricket Association before joining BCCI in 2015. Four years in 2019, Shah was elected as the board's secretary, taking the onus of Indian cricket into his hands and delivering since. Shah is also the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) President, responsible for the cricket operations in the Southeast Asian region.


Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar said he has always appreciated Shah's work as an administrator as it helped promote cricket, not just Indian cricket, over the years. However, he didn't mince his words while admitting that differences in political opinions have restrained fans from giving due credit to Jay Shah for his 'outstanding work'.


"Look, I think the quality of governance has always been such that they've aimed to promote Indian cricket," Gavaskar said in a chat with 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 criticize 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," Gavaskar continued.

Administration should be left to experts

Gavaskar said not necessarily those who have played cricket will only take the game forward, instead those who are passionate about cricket are the ones to take extra yards to make this sport a success.

"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," Gavaskar said.