ICC Chair all praise for IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry

Coventry will replace outgoing President Thomas Bach, and also becomes the first African to be elected in the role as well.

Shah, who recently held talks with Coventry when she attended the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final match between India and Australia in Dubai, admitted to feeling privileged to be on hand for such a historic moment in sport.

IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry and ICC Chair Jay Shah attend the Champions Trophy semi-final on March 4 in Dubai

“Congratulations and best wishes to newly-elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry, an honour thoroughly deserved and something I’m humbled to have been present for in Greece after hosting you at the ICC Champions Trophy,” Shah posted on his Instagram channel.

“I look forward to working with you and your team on cricket’s inclusion in the LA28 (Olympic) Games - and beyond.”

Coventry competed at five different Olympic Games as a swimmer representing Zimbabwe, and won seven medals (two gold, four silver, one bronze)

She debuted at Sydney 2000 and competed for the final time at Rio 2016.

"This is an extraordinary moment,” Coventry said in her acceptance speech.

“As a nine-year-old girl I never thought I'd be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible (Olympics) movement of ours.”

Shah has been one of the main drivers behind cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games and aside from attending the IOC Presidential elections in Greece this week had also met with Bach in Switzerland in January.

That followed meetings in Brisbane, Australia in December Shah attended with the 2032 Olympics organizing committee.

The IOC approved cricket’s inclusion for LA28 last year, and it will be just the second time the sport has featured at the Olympics having made its debut more than a century ago.