How Many Countries Play Cricket

How Many Countries Play Cricket: List Of All Members 2024

Cricket is a game that individuals appreciate in light of its practices and the energy it brings. It unites individuals from everywhere in the world to contend and make companions. Whether you’re watching a game at the well-known Master’s Ground in Britain or on the bustling roads of Mumbai, cricket is cherished by millions. Have you at any point considered what number of nations play cricket? What’s more, for what reason is it so famous?

Go along with us as we utilize straightforward numbers, stories, and experiences to perceive how much cricket influences various areas of the planet. We’ll discuss why a few spots, like cricket, are troublesome while others think that it is. Furthermore, we’ll likewise talk about how individuals are attempting to create cricket, something everybody can appreciate.

Also ReadWhat Is The Ticket Price Of Cricket Match [2024]

Whether you love cricket or need to find out about what it means for the world, this blog will be straightforward and intriguing. Thus, get your cricket bat, put it in your #1 group’s jersey, and investigate why countless individuals overall love cricket.

How Many Countries Play Cricket

How Many Countries Play Cricket
Image Source- Wikipedia

The exact count of countries actively engaged in cricket can be challenging to pinpoint precisely. Nonetheless, as of November 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the main governing body for the sport, acknowledges 108 member nations.

It’s crucial to understand that these member nations don’t all participate at the same level:

  • 12 nations boast Full Member status, granting them the privilege to partake in Test matches, which represent the pinnacle of cricket.
  • The other 96 countries hold Associate Member status. In these places, cricket is steadily growing and gaining ground. They take part in various ICC tournaments tailored to their developmental stage, fostering their cricketing progress.

This diverse landscape underscores cricket’s widespread appeal and its ability to unite nations across the globe in the shared love for the game.

Information About ICC

Information About ICC
Image Source- Reuters
InformationDescription
Founded1909
HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
PresidentGreg Barclay
CEOGeoff Allardice
Members108 (12 Full Members, 96 Associate Members)
ResponsibilitiesGoverning body for international cricket (men’s, women’s, and youth)Overseeing playing conditions and officials for Test matches and ODIs – Organizing international cricket events Maintaining the ICC Code of Conduct, Decision Review System, and other regulations Appointing match officials for sanctioned international matches Leading anti-corruption efforts through the Anti-Corruption Unit
WebsiteICC Official Website
Major EventsICC Men’s Cricket World Cup – ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup ICC T20 World Cup – ICC Champions Trophy (discontinued after 2013) ICC World Test Championship
StructureExecutive Board: Responsible for strategic decision-making Chief Executives’ Committee: Consists of CEO-level representatives from member countries. Committees: Various committees focusing on different aspects of the game, such as Umpiring, cricket development, finance, etc.

List Of Full Members

Full members are like the big bosses of cricket in a country or a group of countries that are connected geographically.

These full members have special rights. They can send their top team to play official Test matches, they get to vote fully at ICC meetings, and they’re automatically allowed to play ODIs and T20Is.

The West Indies cricket team is unique because it represents 15 different countries and territories from the Caribbean. Similarly, the English cricket team represents both England and Wales, while the Irish cricket team represents all of Ireland.

Out of these 12 countries, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ireland started off as associate members before they were promoted to full members

NoCountryTeamsGoverning bodyFull member sinceTest status sinceRegion
1AfghanistanMen, Women, U19Afghanistan Cricket Board22 June 201714 June 2018Asia
2AustraliaMen, Women, U19Cricket Australia15 June 190915 March 1877East Asia-Pacific
3BangladeshMen, Women, U19Bangladesh Cricket Board26 June 200010 November 2000Asia
4EnglandMen, Women, U19England and Wales Cricket Board15 June 190915 March 1877Europe
5IndiaMen, Women, U19Board of Control for Cricket in India31 May 192625 June 1932Asia
6IrelandMen, Women, U19Cricket Ireland22 June 201711 May 2018Europe
7New ZealandMen, Women, U19New Zealand Cricket31 May 192610 January 1930East Asia-Pacific
8PakistanMen, Women, U19Pakistan Cricket Board28 July 195216 October 1952Asia
9South AfricaMen, Women, U19Cricket South Africa15 June 190912 March 1889Africa
10Sri LankaMen, Women, U19Sri Lanka Cricket21 July 198117 February 1982Asia
11West IndiesMen, Women, U19Cricket West Indies31 May 192623 June 1928Americas
12ZimbabweMen, Women, U19Zimbabwe Cricket6 July 199218 October 1992Africa

List Of Associate Members

Associate members are countries where cricket is well-organized and established, but they’re not considered full members. There are 96 associate members in total.

All these associate members used to play in something called the World Cricket League, which was a series of international one-day cricket matches managed by the ICC until 2019. After 2019, this league was replaced by the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 and ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

There are also events called ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers. These events help teams qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Until April 2018, only teams that qualified were allowed to play Twenty20 International matches.

NoCountryTeamsGovernmentAffiliate membershipAssociate membershipRegion
1ArgentinaMen, Women, U19Argentine Cricket AssociationN/A1974Americas
2AustriaMen, Women, U19Austrian Cricket Association19922017Europe
3BahrainMen, Women, U19Bahrain Cricket Association20012017Asia
4BelgiumMen, Women, U19Belgian Cricket Federation19912005Europe
5BelizeMen, Women, U19Belize National Cricket Association19972017Americas
6BermudaMen, Women, U19Bermuda Cricket BoardN/A1966Americas
7BhutanMen, Women, U19Bhutan Cricket Council Board20012017Asia
8BotswanaMen, Women, U19Botswana Cricket Association20012005Africa
9BrazilMen, Women, U19Brazilian Cricket Confederation20022017Americas
10BulgariaMen, Women, U19Bulgarian Cricket Federation20082017Europe
11CambodiaMen, Women, U19Cricket Association of CambodiaN/A2022Asia
12CameroonMen, Women, U19Cameroon Cricket Federation20072017Africa
13CanadaMen, Women, U19Cricket CanadaN/A1968Americas
14Cayman IslandsMen, Women, U19Cayman Islands Cricket Association19972002Americas
15ChileMen, Women, U19Chilean Cricket Association20022017Americas
16ChinaMen, Women, U19Chinese Cricket Association20042017Asia
17Cook IslandsMen, Women, U19Cook Islands Cricket Association20002017East Asia-Pacific
18Costa RicaMen, Women, U19Costa Rica Cricket Federation20022017Americas
19Ivory CoastMen, Women, U19Côte d’Ivoire Cricket FederationN/A2022Africa
20CroatiaMen, Women, U19Croatian Cricket Federation20012017Europe
21CyprusMen, Women, U19Cyprus Cricket Association19992017Europe
22Czech RepublicMen, Women, U19Czech Cricket Union20002017Europe
23DenmarkMen, Women, U19Danish Cricket FederationN/A1966Europe
24EstoniaMen, Women, U19Estonian Cricket Association20082017Europe
25EswatiniMen, Women, U19Eswatini Cricket Association20072017Africa
26Falkland IslandsMen, Women, U19Falkland Cricket Association20072017Americas
27FijiMen, Women, U19Cricket FijiN/A1965East Asia-Pacific
28FinlandMen, Women, U19Cricket Finland20002017Europe
29FranceMen, Women, U19France Cricket Association19871998Europe
30GermanyMen, Women, U19German Cricket Federation19911999Europe
31GhanaMen, Women, U19Ghana Cricket Association20022017Africa
32GibraltarMen, Women, U19Gibraltar Cricket AssociationN/A1969Europe
33GreeceMen, Women, U19Hellenic Cricket Federation19952017Europe
34GuernseyMen, Women, U19Guernsey Cricket Board20052008Europe
35Hong KongMen, Women, U19Cricket Hong KongN/A1969Asia
36HungaryMen, Women, U19Hungarian Cricket Association20122017Europe
37IndonesiaMen, Women, U19Cricket Indonesia20012017Asia/East Asia-Pacific
38IranMen, Women, U19Islamic Republic of Iran Cricket Association20032017Asia
39Isle of ManMen, Women, U19Isle of Man Cricket Association20042017Europe
40IsraelMen, Women, U19Israel Cricket AssociationN/A1974Europe
41ItalyMen, Women, U19Italian Cricket Federation19841995Europe
42JapanMen, Women, U19Japan Cricket Association19892005Asia/East Asia-Pacific
43JerseyMen, Women, U19Jersey Cricket Board20052007Europe
44KenyaMen, Women, U19Cricket KenyaN/A1981Africa
45KuwaitMen, Women, U19Cricket Kuwait19982005Asia
46LesothoMen, Women, U19Lesotho Cricket Association20012017Africa
47LuxembourgMen, Women, U19Luxembourg Cricket Federation19982017Europe
48MalawiMen, Women, U19Cricket Malawi19982017Africa
49MalaysiaMen, Women, U19Malaysian Cricket AssociationN/A1967Asia
50MaldivesMen, Women, U19Cricket Board of Maldives19982017Asia
51MaliMen, Women, U19Malian Cricket Federation20052017Africa
52MaltaMen, Women, U19Malta Cricket Association19982017Europe
53MexicoMen, Women, U19Mexico Cricket Association20042017Americas
54MongoliaMen, Women, U19Mongolia Cricket AssociationN/A2021Asia
55MozambiqueMen, Women, U19Mozambican Cricket Association20032017Africa
56MyanmarMen, Women, U19Myanmar Cricket Federation20062017Asia
57NamibiaMen, Women, U19Cricket NamibiaN/A1992Africa
58NepalMen, Women, U19Cricket Association of Nepal19881996Asia
59NetherlandsMen, Women, U19Royal Dutch Cricket AssociationN/A1966Europe
60NigeriaMen, Women, U19Nigeria Cricket FederationN/A2002Africa
61NorwayMen, Women, U19Norwegian Cricket Board20002017Europe
62OmanMen, Women, U19Oman Cricket20002014Asia
63PanamaMen, Women, U19Panama Cricket Association20022017Americas
64Papua New GuineaMen, Women, U19Cricket PNGN/A1973East Asia-Pacific
65PeruMen, Women, U19Peru Cricket Association20072017Americas
66PhilippinesMen, Women, U19Philippine Cricket Association20002017East Asia-Pacific
67PortugalMen, Women, U19Portuguese Cricket Federation19962017Europe
68QatarMen, Women, U19Qatar Cricket Association19992017Asia
69RomaniaMen, Women, U19Cricket Romania20132017Europe
70RwandaMen, Women, U19Rwanda Cricket Association20032017Africa
71Saint HelenaMen, Women, U19St Helena Cricket Association20012017Africa
72SamoaMen, Women, U19Samoa International Cricket Association20002017East Asia-Pacific
73Saudi ArabiaMen, Women, U19Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation20032016Asia
74ScotlandMen, Women, U19Cricket ScotlandN/A1994Europe
75SerbiaMen, Women, U19Serbian Cricket Federation20152017Europe
76SeychellesMen, Women, U19Seychelles Cricket Association20102017Africa
77Sierra LeoneMen, Women, U19Sierra Leone Cricket Association20022017Africa
78SingaporeMen, Women, U19Singapore Cricket AssociationN/A1974Asia
79SloveniaMen, Women, U19Slovenian Cricket Association20052017Europe
80South KoreaMen, Women, U19Korea Cricket Association20012017East Asia-Pacific
81SpainMen, Women, U19Cricket Spain19922017Europe
82SurinameMen, Women, U19Suriname Cricket Board20022011Americas
83SwedenMen, Women, U19Swedish Cricket Federation19972017Europe
84SwitzerlandMen, Women, U19Cricket Switzerland1985[a]2021Europe
85TajikistanMen, Women, U19Tajikistan Cricket FederationN/A2021Asia
86TanzaniaMen, Women, U19Tanzania Cricket AssociationN/A2001Africa
87ThailandMen, Women, U19Cricket Association of Thailand19952005Asia
88BahamasMen, Women, U19Bahamas Cricket Association19872017Americas
89GambiaMen, Women, U19Gambia Cricket Association20022017Africa
90TurkeyMen, Women, U19Cricket Turkey20082017Europe
91Turks and Caicos IslandsMen, Women, U19Turks and Caicos Cricket Association20022017Americas
92UgandaMen, Women, U19Uganda Cricket AssociationN/A1998Africa
93United Arab EmiratesMen, Women, U19Emirates Cricket Board19891990Asia
94United StatesMen, Women, U19USA CricketN/A1965[b] 2019Americas
95UzbekistanMen, Women, U19Cricket Federation of UzbekistanN/A2022Asia
96VanuatuMen, Women, U19Vanuatu Cricket Association19952009East Asia-Pacific

What Is The Difference Between Full Members And Associate Members?

What Is The Difference Between Full Members And Associate Members?
AspectFull MembersAssociate Members
Voting RightsTypically have full voting rights in the Decision-making processes of the organization.Limited or no voting rights, depending on the Organization’s rules and regulations.
Membership BenefitsUsually entitled to all benefits and privileges offered by the organization, including access to resources, discounts, and events.Limited access to benefits and privileges compared to full members. May have access to certain resources or events but not all.
ObligationsFull members often have more significant obligations, such as paying higher membership fees, fulfilling specific requirements, and actively participating in organizational activities.Associate members may have fewer obligations compared to full members. They might have lower membership fees and fewer requirements.
EligibilityCriteria for becoming a full member may be more stringent, requiring certain qualifications, experience, or adherence to specific standards set by the organization.Typically, the criteria for becoming an associate member are less stringent compared to full membership. This may include fewer qualifications or experience requirements.
RepresentationFull members may have the opportunity to represent the organization officially in external events, conferences, or meetings.Associate members may have limited or no opportunities for official representation on behalf of the organization.
Level of EngagementFull members are often more deeply involved in the activities and decision-making processes of the organization.Associate members may have a more peripheral or less involved role within the organization.
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Wrap-up 

cricket has a big impact globally. People love it in England, India, the Caribbean, and New Zealand. Cricket brings people together, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak.

We’ve seen that millions of people worldwide enjoy cricket. There are 108 countries in the International Cricket Council. Some countries, like 12 of them, can play in Test matches. The other 96 countries are still growing cricket in their communities.

Cricket is not just about playing against each other; it’s also about teamwork, respect, and feeling like you belong. It brings together people from different backgrounds who all love the game.

As cricket keeps changing and new players show up worldwide, one thing is sure: cricket will keep inspiring generations. It breaks boundaries and leaves a mark on the world. Whether you play cricket, love watching it, or are just curious about it, let’s celebrate cricket’s diversity and the stories it shares all over the world.

FAQs- How Many Countries Play Cricket

Which countries are eligible to participate in Test matches?

Only Full Member countries have the privilege to play Test matches.

Is cricket only popular in certain regions, or is it played globally?

While cricket has strongholds in countries like India, Australia, and England, its popularity is steadily increasing globally, with more countries actively participating in the sport.

How does the ICC support the development of cricket in Associate Member countries?

The ICC organizes various tournaments and provides financial assistance and resources to help develop cricket infrastructure and talent in Associate Member countries.

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