How Many Countries Play Cricket In The World?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has 108 member countries, reflecting the cricket’s popularity and reach worldwide. The ICC governs this sport globally and has 12 full members who play Test cricket.

96 Associate members participate in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Out of 96, ICC granted 8 ODI status to associate members in 2019 in the World Cricket League.

This guide will cover the details of countries that play cricket, who are members of the ICC, and the challenges and opportunities faced across the globe in the cricket world.

A Brief History Of Cricket and ICC

Cricket began in the late 16th century in England, and in the 19th century, around 1877, International matches started as Test cricket between countries.

The Imperial Cricket Conference, now known as the International Cricket Council (ICC), was founded in 1909 to oversee the sport globally. It has over 100 member countries and territories, but only 12 play Test cricket.

ICC governs the whole Cricket body and decides the ‘Laws of Cricket’ from national to major International tournaments.

Full Members Of The ICC

ICC includes 12 members in the cricket league. These countries have the right to play Test Matches, have voting rights at meetings of the ICC, and are eligible to play ODIs and T20s.

Country	Member Since	First Test
Australia	15 June 1909	1877
England	15 June 1909	1877
South Africa	15 June 1909	1889
India	31 May 1926	1932
West Indies	31 May 1926	1928
New Zealand	31 May 1926	1930
Pakistan	28 July 1952	1952
Sri Lanka	21 July 1981	1982
Bangladesh	26 June 2000	2000
Zimbabwe	6 July 1992	1992
Afghanistan	22 June 2017	2017
Ireland	22 June 2017	2018

Besides the Men’s Cricket, in April 2021, ICC granted Women’s Test status to all the Full Member nations.

The first-ever international cricket game was played between the USA and Canada in 1844 at the St George’s Cricket Club in New York.

However, the International Cricket matches were boosted from September 1846 to March 1877, and the first Test match was held between Australia and England.

Associate Members Of ICC

The ICC includes 96 Associate members. These countries do not play Test cricket but participate in ODIs and T20Is.

Members of these countries participate in various ICC events and competitions to grow the sport and gain more recognition.

Afghanistan and Ireland were also a part of Associate members, but they achieved Full member status by progressing cricket in their countries.

Below is the list of Associate member countries of the ICC:

Countries	ICC Membership Year	Member Since	Status
Scotland	1994	26 June 1994	ODI, T20
Netherlands	1966	27 June 1966	ODI, T20
Nepal	1996	29 June 1996	ODI, T20
UAE	1990	15 June 1990	ODI, T20
Namibia	1992	23 June 1992	ODI, T20
Oman	2000	22 June 2000	ODI, T20
Papua New Guinea	1973	24 June 1973	T20
USA	1965	23 June 1965	ODI, T20
Vanuatu	1995	27 June 1995	T20
Denmark	1966	26 June 1966	T20
Hong Kong	1969	26 June 1969	T20
Malaysia	1967	1 July 1967	T20
Canada	1968	23 June 1968	ODI, T20
Kenya	1981	26 June 1981	T20
Bermuda	1966	26 June 1966	T20
Singapore	1974	1 July 1974	T20
Jersey	2005	28 June 2005	T20
Guernsey	2005	24 June 2005	T20
Uganda	1998	27 June 1998	T20
Italy	1984	1 July 1984	T20
Fiji	1965	22 June 1965	T20
Norway	2000	10 July 2000	T20
Qatar	1999	1 July 1999	T20
Kuwait	1998	27 June 1998	T20
Germany	1991	22 June 1991	T20
Spain	1992	22 June 1992	T20
Belgium	1991	22 June 1991	T20
Sweden	1997	27 June 1997	T20
Austria	1992	22 June 1992	T20
Finland	1999	1 July 1999	T20
Portugal	1996	21 June 1996	T20
Greece	1995	27 June 1995	T20
Israel	1974	N/A	T20
Croatia	2001	1 July 2001	T20
Serbia	2007	27 June 2007	T20
Hungary	2012	June 2012	T20
Czech Republic	2000	June 2000	T20
Estonia	2008	June 2008	T20
Romania	2013	29 June 2013	T20
Bulgaria	2008	June 2008	T20
Turkey	2008	22 June 2008	T20
Panama	2002	April 2002	T20
Peru	2007	29 June 2007	T20
Philippines	2003	May 2003	T20
Qatar	1999	June 1999	T20
Rwanda	2017	June 2017	T20
Saint Helena	2001	April 2001	T20
Samoa	2000	10 July 2000	T20
Saudi Arabia	2016	30 June 2016	T20
Seychelles	2017	June 2017	T20
Sierra Leone	2017	June 2017	T20
South Korea	2017	June 2017	T20
Suriname	2011	June 2011	T20
Switzerland	1985	May 1985	T20
Tajikistan	2021	16 July 2021	T20
Tanzania	2001	N/A	T20
Thailand	1995	27 June 1995	T20
Turks and Caicos Islands	2017	N/A	T20
Uzbekistan	2022	26 July 2022	T20
Nigeria	2002	May 2002	T20
Myanmar	2017	June 2017	T20
Mozambique	2017	N/A	T20
Mongolia	2021	July 2021	T20
Mexico	2017	N/A	T20
Malta	2017	July 2017	T20
Mali	2017	N/A	T20
Maldives	2017	N/A	T20
Malawi	2003	N/A	T20
Luxembourg	1998	27 June 1998	T20
Lesotho	2001	N/A	T20
Japan	1989	1 July 1989	T20
Ivory Coast	2022	July 2022	T20
Isle of Man	2004	N/A	T20
Iran	2003	N/A	T20
Indonesia	2001	N/A	T20
Gibraltar	1969	June 1969	T20
Ghana	2002	N/A	T20
Gambia	2002	N/A	T20
France	1988	June 1988	T20
Falkland Islands	2007	29 June 2007	T20
Eswatini	2007	June 2007	T20
Cyprus	1999	N/A	T20
Costa Rica	2002	June 2002	T20
Cook Islands	2000	N/A	T20
China	2004	1 July 2004	T20
Chile	2002	N/A	T20
Cayman Islands	1997	N/A	T20
Cameroon	2007	29 June 2007	T20
Cambodia	2022	July 2022	T20
Brazil	2002	N/A	T20
Botswana	2001	N/A	T20
Bhutan	2001	N/A	T20
Belize	2017	10 July 2017	T20
Bahrain	2001	N/A	T20
Bahamas	1987	N/A	T20
Argentina	1974	22 June 1974	T20

In April 2018, ICC announced T20I status, where women were granted participation from 1 July 2018, and men’s games started from 1 January 2019.

Since 2019, Associate members of countries have started playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 and  ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

Regional Bodies In Cricket

Regional bodies in cricket play a crucial role in organizing, promoting, and developing the sport within their respective regions. They actually elevate the cricketing standards and opportunities for every player.

1. Asian Cricket Council (ACC)

The ACC is responsible for promoting and developing the sport of Cricket in Asia. The Asian Cricket Council was established in the year 1983 with the aim to support cricketing activities in member countries by organizing tournaments, coaching clinics, and development programs. The ACC currently consists of 30 member associations.  

2. Africa Cricket Association (ACA)

The ACA is an international association founded in 1997. It consists of 23 member countries that are coordinating with Cricket in Africa. Africa Cricket Association was built to promote the development of cricket in Africa and organize regional tournaments. ACA includes the ACA Africa T20 Cup and the Africa Women’s Twenty20 Championship.

3. ICC Americas

The Cricket Council of Americas, or ICC Americas, oversees cricket development in North and South America. It was formed in 2001 and has 17 active members located in North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean. It provides support to member countries through funding, coaching programs, and competitions.

4. ICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP)

ICC East Asia-Pacific, founded in 1996, is dedicated to growing cricket in the East Asia and Pacific region. The area covered by this region includes two Test nations and 10 ICC associate members. The goal is to increase cricket’s presence and quality in this diverse region.

5. ICC Europe

ICC Europe, the International Cricket Council, administers the European cricket sport. It was formed in 2008 to expand its reach across European nations. The council currently has 34 members loathed in Europe who are responsible for developing, promoting, and organizing games in the continent.

Former Members Of Cricket

Six Former Member countries were once part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) but no longer hold membership. They were the Associate and affiliate members of the ICC. Here’s a current list of the Former countries for more clarity;

Countries	ICC Membership Period
Morocco	1999 to 2019
Tonga	2000 to 2014
Brunei	2002 to 2015
Cuba	2002 to 2013
Zambia	2003 to 2021
Russia	2012 to 2022

A combined team of East Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, once were a part of Associate members, but Kenya separated in 1981 and became a separate associate member.

Later, Uganda and Tanzania became associate members separately in 1998 and 2001 respectively. In 2003, Zambia and Malawi mutually dissolved the team agreement.

Also, West Africa representing Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone mutually agreed to discontinue and dissolve the team in 2003. However, the changes in the former cricket member countries reflect the cricket’s evolving political and administrative challenges.

Evolution Of Cricket

Cricket was first played in 1611 and was known as a boy’s game. In the 18th century, it became the leading sport in London and slowly became popular in parts of England. Women started playing matches in 1745.

One-Day Internationals (ODIs) were introduced in 1971, a game with a limited-overs format that offered quicker and more engaged people than traditional Test matches. This format quickly gained popularity, leading to the establishment of the Cricket World Cup, first held in 1975.

In 2005, Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) launched, which was modern cricket with matches lasting only 20 overs per side. The first T20I was between Australia and New Zealand on February 17, 2005. Gradually, Cricket became the 2nd most popular sport in the world.

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Conclusion: Cricket is Played Across 108 Countries

Cricket is played across 108 member countries under the International Cricket Council (ICC). Currently, ICC includes 12 nations that can play ODIs and T20Is as Full Members.

Also, ICC governs 96 Associate member countries that play ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League, and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Due to this growing awareness and engagement in Cricket, it has become a global sport across all nations. 

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