Jay Shah as ICC boss good news for Tests, AI helping Pakistan cricket? | Sledging Room, S2 Ep 50

It's time for another Indian to take over as the new ICC chairman. BCCI secretary Jay Shah was elected as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Upon his election, Shah affirmed his commitment to making Test cricket the "bedrock" of the game during his tenure.

Meanwhile, Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has raised concerns about the ICC’s revenue-sharing model, warning of serious consequences if it isn't addressed soon. Test cricket has been losing its appeal in countries like Pakistan, West Indies, and South Africa, leading to empty stands during matches. The economic viability of Test cricket has been in question for years, and the rise of lucrative T20 leagues has further threatened the traditional format. Given India's financial influence in the cricketing world, Shah's commitment to supporting Test cricket is reassuring for its fans.

On the other hand, it has not been the best of times for the Pakistan cricket team lately. After the early exit in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, they suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test of the ongoing series. To arrest the freefall, the Pakistan Cricket Board has turned to Artificial Intelligence to help select players.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi expressed concerns about the lack of a strong talent pool to replace underperforming players. The PCB hopes its new domestic tournament, the Champions Cup, scheduled in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29, will help develop talent in the long run. The PCB plans to use AI to select a pool of 150 players based on data from the 50-over tournament.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Saurabh Kumar, Sabyasachi Chowdhary and Kingshuk Kusari discuss how Jay Shah's tenure as ICC head might turn out and what has gone wrong with Pakistan cricket.