ICC chief Jay Shah under fire for hogging limelight in WTC final video

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah drew severe flak from various quarters on Tuesday (June 17) for appearing multiple times in the governing body’s latest video over South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) triumph against Australia at Lord’s.

The International Cricket Council on Monday released a 45-second clip on its X handle, recapping moments from the Proteas' memorable win, but the video had ICC Chairman Jay Amit Shah hogging more limelight than Temba Bavuma and his team.

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The video begins with a wide-angle shot of the Lord’s balcony, with Shah appearing in the second cut itself. While the editor did try and put everything inside it, from the teams walking out for the first day play to Temba Bavuma celebrating after creating history as the Proteas captain, all, however, included at least one shot of Jay Shah.

Slammed for ‘PR video’

Journalists and fans flayed the ICC for focusing on Jay Shah more than highlighting the memorable moments from a historic match. “hey @grok how many runs and wickets did Jay Shah get in the WTC?” a journalist remarked while sharing the video.

Cricket podcaster Paul Dennett reviewed the video, wrote on X: “Did you see the ICC video?? Meant to be celebrating the WTC final -- but instead has 11 shots of Jay Shah in it. It's so weird! It's hilarious!”

Several users criticised the promotional video for giving excessive screen time to Jay Shah, overshadowing the actual cricketing action. A user called it a “Jay Shah PR video with a cricket match in the background,” while others pointed out that players like Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram appeared far less frequently.

A Facebook page, ‘What Cricket’, sarcastically awarded Shah the “Player of the Match.” Other users also questioned the ICC’s intent, calling it a highlight reel for Shah rather than the World Test Championship. One user went as far as demanding Jay Shah’s resignation, calling the video unprofessional.

Proteas seal famous win

Earlier, in a historic triumph at Lord’s, South Africa clinched their maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title by defeating defending champions Australia by five wickets.

Aiden Markram’s majestic 136 led the way as the Proteas sealed a five-wicket victory to lift this trophy for the first time and end a drought stretching back to the 1998 Champions Trophy.

Also read | Jay Shah begins tenure as ICC Chair amid Champions Trophy deadlock

The contest, full of twists, seemed to favour Australia at the halfway mark, as they bowled out South Africa for just 138 in the first innings, gaining a 74-run lead.

However, the Australians faltered in their second outing with the bat, managing only 207 and leaving South Africa a challenging target of 282.

Markram anchored the chase with a sublime 136, while skipper Temba Bavuma provided stability with a composed half-century in a memorable run chase that sealed a famous win and carved a new chapter in South African cricket history.