Cricket is one of the most popular games in the world, with millions of fans all over the world. It is played everywhere in the world, and big crowds show up for foreign games. There are some of the most watched cricket games in England, India, Australia, and other places.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is in charge of all things connected to the game and makes sure they are played legally. It can handle concerns and make the changes that are needed to make the sport more popular while also making sure that all players follow the rules during games around the world. All the important facts you need to know about the ICC are in this article, so read on to find out more.
What the ICC Does
In June 1909, the ICC was founded. In 1987, after the International Cricket Conference, it changed its name to what it is now called. Australia, England, and South Africa—who were all present on the council at the time—made the decision. But now there are 108 member countries in the governing body, making it much bigger. Out of those 96 full members, only 12 play test cricket. The other 96 play shorter versions of the game, like ODI and T20.
What You Need to Do
Organising and running the big cricket tournaments that happen all over the world is one of the ICC’s main jobs. The T20 World Cup and the Cricket World Cup are two of them. The ICC also chooses the referees and umpires who will work the games. This is done to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest that could change the result.
The ICC is in charge of all cricket’s growth and progress and making sure that all teams and players follow the rules. The ICC Code of Conduct, which lists the professional standards that must be met in the sport, is used to do this. The ICC and the Anti-Misconduct and Security Unit also work together to make sure that match-fixing and other forms of misconduct don’t happen in sports. The ICC makes sure that cricket is a fair and fun game for all fans and players by protecting the sport’s integrity.
The place
Since its start in 1909, the ICC has been based at Lord’s Cricket Ground, which is known as the “home of cricket.” In the 1930s, the governing body moved its main office to the Clock Tower and added a nursery to the end of the building on the ground floor. The ICC’s offices were located in a single country, though, because the UK and other countries do not have double-taxation agreements. In 1994, a company was set up to deal with this problem. Its offices are in Monaco.
In the early 2000s, big channels paid a lot of money to show important cricket games. This brought in a lot of money for the ICC. The number of people working for the ICC was raised because of this. The group got into a big fight when Sport England looked into the taxes the ICC had paid. In the end, the British government turned down the ICC’s special request to pay UK company tax. This was a turning point for the organization. The group had to look for a new home, which was a big change.
The ICC finally said in 2005 that it would be moving its headquarters to Dubai and closing its offices in Monaco and London. The vote was 11-1, which is very close to being universal. But the people in charge thought it was the right time and place to find out more about the growing interest in cricket in South Asia.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup is coming up
This year looks like it will be another important one for the ICC, since the 2023 Cricket World Cup will put their choices in the spotlight once again. The first match will happen on October 5, and the final will happen in November. This is the second time that England has won the tournament. They beat New Zealand in a thrilling final in 2019.
Ten different countries will be taking part in the upcoming game, which will take place in twelve stadiums across India. Seven of the teams that will be in the World Cup have already been chosen. Along with England, India, and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, and New Zealand will also be there. Through qualifiers, the last three countries that will be fighting will be chosen.
The T20 World Cup for Women
Since the 2018 conference, which made all women’s T20 matches Twenty20 Internationals, more attention has been paid to women’s cricket. Every year, the women’s game gets more famous. This is mostly because of The Hundred, which was the first cricket event to pay male and female players the same amount.
For the eighth time, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was held in 2023. It has already been an exciting year for women’s cricket. Ten countries competed for the top prize at this year’s event, which took place in South Africa. But at the top of the podium after the event, there was a familiar face: Australia had won its sixth title. South Africa put up a strong fight, but Australia beat them by 19 runs. Ashleigh Gardner, an Australian star, was named Player of the Series.
New Goals for the ICC
As was already said, the ICC is in charge of making sure that cricket stays popular, so the governing group is always looking for ways to make the game better. In 2022, the ICC gave associate status to three new countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan. This was the first clear sign of that.
Along with this, the ICC has promised to keep supporting the women’s game and make sure that it keeps growing in popularity in places like the UAE. The Indian Premier League’s ability to hold games in the Middle East shows how shorter forms of games are being used more and more to make them more popular.
