Dubai, Nov 7 (UNI) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced a set of strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating the global growth of cricket, strengthening women’s cricket, and enhancing the game’s digital and Olympic presence.
The ICC Board hailed the record-breaking success of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, describing it as a milestone for the sport. Nearly 300,000 fans attended the event in stadia, the highest-ever for a women’s cricket tournament, while global viewership touched an unprecedented 500 million, including record audiences in India.
Encouraged by the tournament’s impact, the ICC Board approved an expansion of the next Women’s World Cup from eight to ten teams, reaffirming its commitment to the women’s game.
The Board also reviewed ongoing engagement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28), confirming that cricket will feature in several upcoming multi-sport events, including the 2026 Asian Games (Japan), 2027 African Games (Egypt), and 2027 PanAm Games (Peru), where it will make its debut.
At LA28, both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments will feature six teams each, comprising 28 matches in total.
In a bid to expand cricket’s digital ecosystem, the ICC Board approved an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for global Video Gaming Rights, paving the way for leading partners to create worldclass cricket gaming experiences.
The ICC also greenlighted a data consolidation project to harness AI-driven analytics for fan engagement and commercial innovation, benefiting both global and associate members.
Reflecting its commitment to equitable growth, the ICC approved a near 10 per cent increase in funding distribution for Associate Members for 2026, aimed at strengthening domestic programmes, high-performance systems, and grassroots development.
The Board also received an update on ‘Project USA’, launched after the suspension of USA Cricket, ensuring continued player development and commercial engagement ahead of cricket’s inclusion in the LA28 Olympics.
Additionally, the ICC Board ratified new appointments to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, including Ashley De Silva, Mithali Raj, Amol Muzumdar, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella Siale-Vaea.
