International Cricket Council facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International Cricket Council

Official logo of ICC
Abbreviation	ICC
Predecessor	Imperial Cricket Conference (1909–1965) International Cricket Conference (1965–1989)
Formation	15 June 1909; 116 years ago (1909-06-15)
Type	Federation of national associations
Headquarters	Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2005–present) London, England (1909–2005)
Membership	108 members
Official languages	English
Chairman	Greg Barclay
Deputy Chairman	Imran Khwaja
CEO	Geoff Allardice
General Manager	Wasim Khan
Revenue (2022-23)	US$431.93 million
Expenses (2022-23)	US$223.55 million
Award(s)	ICC Awards

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the main organization that runs cricket around the world. It was started in 1909 by people from Australia, England, and South Africa. Back then, it was called the Imperial Cricket Conference. Later, its name changed to the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and then to its current name, the International Cricket Council, in 1987. The ICC's main office is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The ICC has 108 member countries. This includes 12 "Full Members" who play Test matches, and 96 "Associate Members." The ICC is in charge of organizing big international cricket tournaments. These include the famous Cricket World Cup, the T20 World Cup, and the ICC World Test Championship.

The ICC also chooses the umpires and referees for all official international matches. It has a "Code of Conduct" that sets rules for how players should behave. The ICC also works to prevent cheating and match-fixing in cricket through its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

However, the ICC does not control all cricket. It doesn't manage friendly matches between countries. It also doesn't make the basic laws of the game. Those laws are still managed by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which has done so since 1788.

The Chairman leads the ICC's board of directors. In 2014, Narayanaswami Srinivasan became the first chairman. The role of ICC president became mostly honorary after that.

How the ICC Started

Early Days: 1909–1963

The idea for the ICC came from Abe Bailey in 1907. He was the President of the South African Cricket Association. Bailey wrote to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in England. He suggested creating an 'Imperial Cricket Board'. This board would set rules for international matches between Australia, England, and South Africa.

Bailey wanted to hold a special "Triangular Test series" in South Africa. Australia said no at first. But Bailey kept trying. He saw a chance when Australia visited England in 1909.

Finally, on June 15, 1909, representatives from England, Australia, and South Africa met. They met at Lord's cricket ground and started the Imperial Cricket Conference. A month later, they agreed on the rules. They decided the first Tri-Test series would be in England in 1912.

In 1926, West Indies, New Zealand, and India joined as Full Members. This meant six countries could now play Test matches. After Pakistan was formed in 1947, it gained Test status in 1952. In 1961, South Africa left the group for a while.

Growing Bigger: 1964–1988

In 1964, the ICC decided to let countries that didn't play Test matches join. The next year, the ICC changed its name to the International Cricket Conference. Countries like the US, Ceylon, and Fiji joined as "Associates." This was a new type of member.

More countries joined as Associates in the following years. In 1968, Denmark, Bermuda, Netherlands, and East Africa became members. The ICC also updated its basic rules in 1969.

At a meeting in 1971, someone suggested having a World Cup. In 1973, it was decided that the first World Cup would be played in England in 1975. Six Test-playing nations, plus East Africa and Sri Lanka, were invited.

New members kept joining during this time. In 1974, Israel and Singapore joined. In 1977, Bangladesh became an Associate member. In 1981, Sri Lanka became a Full Member and played its first Test match in 1982.

In 1984, a third type of membership, "Affiliate," was created. Italy was the first Affiliate member.

Modern Era: 1989–Present

In July 1989, the ICC changed its name again to the International Cricket Council. Also, the rule that the MCC President automatically became the ICC Chairman was stopped.

In 1991, for the first time, an ICC meeting was held outside England, in Australia. South Africa rejoined as a Full Member in July, after apartheid ended. In 1992, Zimbabwe became the ninth Full Member.

In 1993, the job of Chief Executive of ICC was created. David Richards was the first person to hold this role. Also, Sir Clyde Walcott became the first non-British Chairman. New technology brought in the third umpire, who could use video replays.

By 1995, TV replays were used for run-outs and stumpings in Test matches. The third umpire would signal "out" with a red light or "not out" with a green light. The next year, cameras were used to check if the ball crossed the boundary line.

In 1997, decisions about whether a catch was clean could be sent to the third umpire. This year also saw the start of the Duckworth-Lewis method. This method helps adjust target scores in rain-affected One Day International (ODI) matches.

In 2000, Bangladesh became the tenth Full Member of the ICC. In 2005, the ICC moved its main offices to Dubai.

In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the eleventh and twelfth Full Members. At the same time, the "Affiliate Membership" was removed. All existing Affiliate Members became Associate Members.

In 2018, all Women's T20 matches were given official Women's Twenty20 International status. In 2019, all Men's T20 matches also became official Twenty20 Internationals.

In July 2022, Cambodia, Cote D'Ivoire, and Uzbekistan were granted Associate Member status.

On June 12, 2023, Australia made history. After winning the ICC World Test Championship, they became the first team to win all major ICC trophies.

ICC Members

Current ICC Members by Membership status:
     Full Members
     Associate Members with ODI status
     Associate Members
     Former or suspended Members
     Non-Members

Full Members are the 12 countries whose cricket teams have full voting rights in the ICC. They also play official Test matches.

Country	Teams	Governing body	Full member since	Test status since	Region
England	Men • Women • U19	England and Wales Cricket Board	15 June 1909	15 March 1877	Europe
Australia	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Australia	15 June 1909	15 March 1877	East Asia-Pacific
South Africa	Men • Women • U19	Cricket South Africa	15 June 1909	12 March 1889	Africa
West Indies	Men • Women • U19	Cricket West Indies	31 May 1926	23 June 1928	Americas
New Zealand	Men • Women • U19	New Zealand Cricket	31 May 1926	10 January 1930	East Asia-Pacific
India	Men • Women • U19	Board of Control for Cricket in India	31 May 1926	25 June 1932	Asia
Pakistan	Men • Women • U19	Pakistan Cricket Board	28 July 1952	16 October 1952	Asia
Sri Lanka	Men • Women • U19	Sri Lanka Cricket	21 July 1981	21 July 1981	Asia
Zimbabwe	Men • Women • U19	Zimbabwe Cricket	6 July 1992	18 October 1992	Africa
Bangladesh	Men • Women • U19	Bangladesh Cricket Board	26 June 2000	10 November 2000	Asia
Ireland	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Ireland	22 June 2017	11 May 2018	Europe
Afghanistan	Men • Women • U19	Afghanistan Cricket Board	22 June 2017	14 June 2018	Asia

Associate Members are the 96 countries where cricket is well-known and organized. However, they haven't yet become Full Members.

Currently, 8 Associate teams have temporary ODI status until 2027. These teams are a step above the other Associate teams.

Country	Governing body	Associate member since	ODI status since	Region
Netherlands	Royal Dutch Cricket Association	1966	2018	Europe
Canada	Cricket Canada	1968	2023	Americas
United Arab Emirates	Emirates Cricket Board	1990	2014	Asia
Namibia	Cricket Namibia	1992	2019	Africa
Scotland	Cricket Scotland	1994	2005	Europe
Nepal	Cricket Association of Nepal	1996	2018	Asia
Oman	Oman Cricket	2014	2019	Asia
United States	USA Cricket	2019	2019	Americas

The full list of 96 Associate teams is below:

Country	Teams	Government	Affiliate membership	Associate membership	Region
Argentina	Men • Women • U19	Argentine Cricket Association	N/A	1974	Americas
Austria	Men • Women • U19	Austrian Cricket Association	1992	2017	Europe
Bahamas	Men • Women • U19	Bahamas Cricket Association	1987	2017	Americas
Bahrain	Men • Women • U19	Bahrain Cricket Association	2001	2017	Asia
Belgium	Men • Women • U19	Belgian Cricket Federation	1991	2005	Europe
Belize	Men • Women • U19	Belize National Cricket Association	1997	2017	Americas
Bermuda	Men • Women • U19	Bermuda Cricket Board	N/A	1966	Americas
Bhutan	Men • Women • U19	Bhutan Cricket Council Board	2001	2017	Asia
Botswana	Men • Women • U19	Botswana Cricket Association	2001	2005	Africa
Brazil	Men • Women • U19	Brazilian Cricket Confederation	2002	2017	Americas
Bulgaria	Men • Women • U19	Bulgarian Cricket Federation	2008	2017	Europe
Cambodia	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Association of Cambodia	N/A	2022	Asia
Cameroon	Men • Women • U19	Cameroon Cricket Federation	2007	2017	Africa
Canada	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Canada	N/A	1968	Americas
Cayman Islands	Men • Women • U19	Cayman Islands Cricket Association	1997	2002	Americas
Chile	Men • Women • U19	Chilean Cricket Association	2002	2017	Americas
China	Men • Women • U19	Chinese Cricket Association	2004	2017	Asia
Cook Islands	Men • Women • U19	Cook Islands Cricket Association	2000	2017	East Asia-Pacific
Costa Rica	Men • Women • U19	Costa Rica Cricket Federation	2002	2017	Americas
Croatia	Men • Women • U19	Croatian Cricket Federation	2001	2017	Europe
Cyprus	Men • Women • U19	Cyprus Cricket Association	1999	2017	Europe
Czech Republic	Men • Women • U19	Czech Cricket Union	2000	2017	Europe
Denmark	Men • Women • U19	Danish Cricket Federation	N/A	1966	Europe
Estonia	Men • Women • U19	Estonian Cricket Association	2008	2017	Europe
Eswatini	Men • Women • U19	Eswatini Cricket Association	2007	2017	Africa
Falkland Islands	Men • Women • U19	Falkland Cricket Association	2007	2017	Americas
Fiji	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Fiji	N/A	1965	East Asia-Pacific
Finland	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Finland	2000	2017	Europe
France	Men • Women • U19	France Cricket Association	1987	1998	Europe
Gambia	Men • Women • U19	Gambia Cricket Association	2002	2017	Africa
Germany	Men • Women • U19	German Cricket Federation	1991	1999	Europe
Ghana	Men • Women • U19	Ghana Cricket Association	2002	2017	Africa
Gibraltar	Men • Women • U19	Gibraltar Cricket Association	N/A	1969	Europe
Greece	Men • Women • U19	Hellenic Cricket Federation	1995	2017	Europe
Guernsey	Men • Women • U19	Guernsey Cricket Board	2005	2008	Europe
Hong Kong	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Hong Kong	N/A	1969	Asia
Hungary	Men • Women • U19	Hungarian Cricket Association	2012	2017	Europe
Indonesia	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Indonesia	2001	2017	Asia/East Asia-Pacific
Iran	Men • Women • U19	Islamic Republic of Iran Cricket Association	2003	2017	Asia
Isle of Man	Men • Women • U19	Isle of Man Cricket Association	2004	2017	Europe
Israel	Men • Women • U19	Israel Cricket Association	N/A	1974	Europe
Italy	Men • Women • U19	Italian Cricket Federation	1984	1995	Europe
Ivory Coast	Men • Women • U19	Côte d’Ivoire Cricket Federation	N/A	2022	Africa
Japan	Men • Women • U19	Japan Cricket Association	1989	2005	Asia/East Asia-Pacific
Jersey	Men • Women • U19	Jersey Cricket Board	2005	2007	Europe
Kenya	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Kenya	N/A	1981	Africa
Kuwait	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Kuwait	1998	2005	Asia
Lesotho	Men • Women • U19	Lesotho Cricket Association	2001	2017	Africa
Luxembourg	Men • Women • U19	Luxembourg Cricket Federation	1998	2017	Europe
Malawi	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Malawi	1998	2017	Africa
Malaysia	Men • Women • U19	Malaysian Cricket Association	N/A	1967	Asia
Maldives	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Board of Maldives	1998	2017	Asia
Mali	Men • Women • U19	Malian Cricket Federation	2005	2017	Africa
Malta	Men • Women • U19	Malta Cricket Association	1998	2017	Europe
Mexico	Men • Women • U19	Mexico Cricket Association	2004	2017	Americas
Mongolia	Men • Women • U19	Mongolia Cricket Association	N/A	2021	Asia
Mozambique	Men • Women • U19	Mozambican Cricket Association	2003	2017	Africa
Myanmar	Men • Women • U19	Myanmar Cricket Federation	2006	2017	Asia
Namibia	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Namibia	N/A	1992	Africa
Nepal	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Association of Nepal	1988	1996	Asia
Netherlands	Men • Women • U19	Royal Dutch Cricket Association	N/A	1966	Europe
Nigeria	Men • Women • U19	Nigeria Cricket Federation	N/A	2002	Africa
Norway	Men • Women • U19	Norwegian Cricket Board	2000	2017	Europe
Oman	Men • Women • U19	Oman Cricket	2000	2014	Asia
Panama	Men • Women • U19	Panama Cricket Association	2002	2017	Americas
Papua New Guinea	Men • Women • U19	Cricket PNG	N/A	1973	East Asia-Pacific
Peru	Men • Women • U19	Peru Cricket Association	2007	2017	Americas
Philippines	Men • Women • U19	Philippine Cricket Association	2000	2017	East Asia-Pacific
Portugal	Men • Women • U19	Portuguese Cricket Federation	1996	2017	Europe
Qatar	Men • Women • U19	Qatar Cricket Association	1999	2017	Asia
Romania	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Romania	2013	2017	Europe
Rwanda	Men • Women • U19	Rwanda Cricket Association	2003	2017	Africa
Saint Helena	Men • Women • U19	St Helena Cricket Association	2001	2017	Africa
Samoa	Men • Women • U19	Samoa International Cricket Association	2000	2017	East Asia-Pacific
Saudi Arabia	Men • Women • U19	Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation	2003	2016	Asia
Scotland	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Scotland	N/A	1994	Europe
Serbia	Men • Women • U19	Serbian Cricket Federation	2015	2017	Europe
Seychelles	Men • Women • U19	Seychelles Cricket Association	2010	2017	Africa
Sierra Leone	Men • Women • U19	Sierra Leone Cricket Association	2002	2017	Africa
Singapore	Men • Women • U19	Singapore Cricket Association	N/A	1974	Asia
Slovenia	Men • Women • U19	Slovenian Cricket Association	2005	2017	Europe
South Korea	Men • Women • U19	Korea Cricket Association	2001	2017	East Asia-Pacific
Spain	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Spain	1992	2017	Europe
Suriname	Men • Women • U19	Suriname Cricket Board	2002	2011	Americas
Sweden	Men • Women • U19	Swedish Cricket Federation	1997	2017	Europe
Switzerland	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Switzerland	1985	2021	Europe
Tajikistan	Men • Women • U19	Tajikistan Cricket Federation	N/A	2021	Asia
Tanzania	Men • Women • U19	Tanzania Cricket Association	N/A	2001	Africa
Thailand	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Association of Thailand	1995	2005	Asia
Turkey	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Turkey	2008	2017	Europe
Turks and Caicos Islands	Men • Women • U19	Turks and Caicos Cricket Association	2002	2017	Americas
Uganda	Men • Women • U19	Uganda Cricket Association	N/A	1998	Africa
United Arab Emirates	Men • Women • U19	Emirates Cricket Board	1989	1990	Asia
United States	Men • Women • U19	USA Cricket	N/A	1965 2019	Americas
Uzbekistan	Men • Women • U19	Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan	N/A	2022	Asia
Vanuatu	Men • Women • U19	Vanuatu Cricket Association	1995	2009	East Asia-Pacific

Where the ICC is Located

The ICC's offices in Dubai

For a long time, the ICC's home was at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. In 1993, its offices moved to a building there. The ICC gets most of its money from selling rights to the Cricket World Cup. Because not all member countries had special tax agreements with the UK, the ICC created a company called IDI in Monaco in 1994 to protect its money from taxes.

Over time, the ICC's income grew a lot. This meant more staff were needed for the commercial side of things in Monaco. But the cricket administrators were still in London. The ICC wanted all its staff to be in one place to work better together. They also wanted to keep their commercial income tax-free.

The ICC asked the British Government if they could stay at Lord's and be exempt from UK taxes on their commercial income. The government said no, as it would set a new rule. So, the ICC looked for other places and chose Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In August 2005, the ICC moved its offices to Dubai.

One big reason for moving to Dubai was to bring all staff together in a tax-friendly place. Another reason was to be closer to the growing cricket centers in South Asia, like India and Pakistan. Lord's made sense when the MCC ran the ICC. But as India and Pakistan became more important in world cricket, it felt old-fashioned for a British club to control international cricket. The move to Dubai made the ICC more neutral.

How the ICC Makes Money

Variant ICC Logo with old motto

The ICC earns money from the tournaments it organizes, especially the Cricket World Cup. Most of this money is then given to its member countries. For example, between 2007 and 2015, sponsorships and TV rights for the World Cup brought in over US$1.6 billion. This is the ICC's main way of making money. In 2022, the ICC made a net income of US$208,375,000.

The ICC does not earn money from regular international matches between countries. These matches are run by the member countries themselves. The ICC has tried to create other new events to earn more money, like the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Super Series. However, these events haven't always been as successful as hoped. The Super Series was not very popular and is unlikely to happen again.

The ICC World Twenty20, which started in 2007, has been a big success. The ICC now plans to have a major international tournament every year. This includes a Twenty20 World Cup in even-numbered years, the Cricket World Cup the year before the Olympic Games, and the ICC Champions Trophy in the remaining year.

Major International Tournaments

ICC Events

The ICC organizes many international cricket competitions. These are for Men's, Women's, and Under-19 national teams. They include Test, One-Day and Twenty20 formats.

Tournament	Latest edition	Format	Champions	Next edition
Men
ICC World Test Championship	2021-23	Test	Australia	2023-25
ICC Cricket World Cup	2023	ODI	Australia	2027
ICC Champions Trophy	2017		Pakistan	2025
ICC T20 World Cup	2022	T20I	England	2024
Women
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup	2022	WODI	Australia	2025
ICC Women's T20 World Cup	2023	WT20I	Australia	2024
ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy	2027		TBD	2031
Under-19
ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup	2024	50 overs	Australia	2026
ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup	2023	T20	India	2025

The ICC also works with the Commonwealth Games Federation and International Olympic Committee. They help organize Twenty20 Cricket for Women in the Commonwealth Games and for both men and women at the Summer Olympics.

Qualification Tournaments

The ICC also organizes tournaments to help teams qualify for the main international events.

Starting with the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, teams will qualify directly. This will be based on how they did in the previous T20 World Cup and through regional qualifiers.

Cricket Leagues

The ICC runs world cup qualifying leagues for Associate teams. These leagues have two levels, with teams moving up or down. The best teams from these leagues can qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

There are also two playoff events that are part of the World Cup qualification process. These are linked to the leagues mentioned above.

• ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff
• ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League Playoff

Rules and Regulations

The International Cricket Council sets the playing conditions and other rules for international cricket. While the ICC makes some changes to the rules, the main Laws of Cricket are still managed by the MCC. However, the MCC usually talks with the ICC before making big changes.

The ICC also has a "Code of Conduct." This code tells players and teams how they should behave in international matches. If someone breaks these rules, the ICC can give penalties, usually fines. For example, in 2008, the ICC gave 19 penalties to players.

Umpires and Referees

The ICC chooses international umpires and match referees. These officials work at all official Test matches, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20 Internationals. The ICC has three groups of umpires: the Elite Panel, the International Panel, and the Associates and Affiliates Panel.

The Elite Panel has about twelve umpires. Two umpires from this panel usually work at every Test match. For ODI matches, one Elite Panel umpire works with an umpire from the International Panel. Elite Panel members are full-time employees of the ICC. They work about 8-10 Test matches and 10-15 ODIs each year.

The International Panel includes officials chosen by each of the twelve Test-playing cricket boards. These umpires work in ODI matches in their home country. They also help the Elite Panel during busy times. They might also work at events like the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup. This helps them get ready for a possible move to the Elite Panel.

Each Test cricket board also chooses a "third umpire." This umpire uses instant television replays to review certain decisions made on the field. Being a third umpire is often a step towards joining the International Panel.

The ICC also has an Elite Panel of ICC Referees. These referees are independent representatives of the ICC at all Test and ODI matches. As of 2009, there were 6 members, all experienced former international cricketers. Referees are in charge of dealing with rule breaks under the ICC Code of Conduct. They can give penalties, from a warning to a lifetime ban from cricket.

The ICC has worked on using a "Decision Review System" (DRS) to help umpires. This system uses technology to review decisions.

Regional Cricket Groups

These regional groups help organize, promote, and grow cricket in different parts of the world:

• Asian Cricket Council
• Africa Cricket Association
• ICC Europe
• ICC Americas
• ICC East Asia-Pacific

Some older regional groups, like the European Cricket Council, have been replaced by the ICC taking over their operations.

Rankings and Awards

Player and Team Rankings

The ICC publishes rankings for teams in all three types of cricket (Test, ODI, T20). These rankings are updated regularly.

Men's Rankings

• ICC Men's Test Team Rankings
• ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings
• ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings

Women's Rankings

• ICC Women's ODI and T20I Team Rankings

The ICC Player Rankings are also very popular. They rank international cricketers based on how well they have played recently.

Men's Player Rankings

• ICC Men's Player Rankings

Women's Player Rankings

• ICC Women's Player Rankings

Cricket Awards

The ICC gives out the ICC Awards to celebrate the best international cricket players each year. The first awards ceremony was in London in 2004. In 2020, the ICC also created the ICC Awards of the Decade to honor the best players and performances over the past 10 years.

The ICC Development Awards started in 2002. These awards recognize great ideas and programs from ICC members that help cricket grow around the world.

Keeping Cricket Fair

The ICC has worked to deal with issues of cheating in cricket. After some problems with players taking money from illegal betting, the ICC created the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) in 2000. This unit investigates reports of cheating. For example, they looked into cases where players were paid to play poorly or to make sure a match had a certain result.

The ACSU continues to watch for and investigate any signs of cheating in cricket. They have also put rules in place, like not allowing mobile phones in dressing rooms.

Before the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the ICC warned against any cheating. They said they would be very strict about it.

In 2010, during a Pakistan tour of England, three Pakistani players were found guilty of "spot-fixing." This means they agreed to do specific things in the game for money. They were banned from playing cricket for several years.

In 2019, an investigation by Al Jazeera found more issues in Sri Lanka, India, England, Australia, and other cricket nations. The ICC started an investigation into these reports.

ICC Global Cricket Academy

The ICC Global Cricket Academy (GCA) is located in Dubai Sports City in the United Arab Emirates. The GCA has great facilities for training. It includes two cricket fields, practice areas, indoor training facilities with special technology, and a gym just for cricket players. Rod Marsh was the first Director of Coaching for the academy. It opened in 2010.

ICC Cricket World Program

The International Cricket Council also has a weekly TV show called ICC Cricket World. It's a 30-minute program that shares the latest cricket news. It shows highlights from Test and One-Day International matches. It also features stories and interviews about cricket off the field.

See Also

In Spanish: Consejo Internacional de Críquet para niños

• Association of Cricket Officials
• List of International Cricket Council members
• Federation of International Cricketers' Associations
• International structure of cricket
• List of International Cricket Council presidents (Position dissolved since 2014)