The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has announced a series of landmark decisions aimed at strengthening global cricket development, advancing women’s cricket, and ensuring the sport’s long-term strategic growth.
Highlighting the growing global appeal of the women’s game, the ICC noted that the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup achieved record-breaking success. Nearly 300,000 spectators attended matches in stadiums — the highest-ever turnout for a women’s cricket event — while viewership in India alone surpassed 500 million across television and digital platforms.
Building on this success, the ICC Board approved an expansion of the next Women’s World Cup from eight to ten teams, broadening opportunities for emerging cricketing nations.
The board also reviewed preparations for cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, confirming that both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments will feature six teams each, totaling 28 matches. Additionally, cricket will be part of upcoming regional multi-sport events — including the 2026 Asian Games, 2027 African Games, and, for the first time, the 2027 Pan American Games.
In a move to enhance fan engagement and digital growth, the ICC approved a tender for video gaming rights, expanding the sport’s presence in the interactive entertainment sector. A new data consolidation project was also endorsed, aimed at improving analytics, audience insights, and commercial opportunities for member nations.
Reaffirming its commitment to equitable development, the ICC announced a 10% funding increase for Associate Members starting in 2026, supporting grassroots programs, domestic competitions, and high-performance structures.
The Board also received updates on Project USA — launched after the suspension of USA Cricket — which seeks to safeguard the commercial and developmental interests of U.S. national teams ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Lastly, the ICC confirmed new appointments to its Women’s Cricket Committee, adding Ashley de Silva, Mithali Raj, Amol Muzumdar, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella Siale-Vaea to the panel.
