This was among several key outcomes from the ICC Annual Conference 2025, held in Singapore this week.
The ICC announced several major decisions after its annual conference, including an update on the Afghanistan women’s cricket initiative, the hosts for the finals of the next three ICC World Test Championships, the status of USA Cricket and the addition of two new Members.
In line with ICC’s initiative for supporting the displaced women cricketers of Afghan descent, the players will receive key engagement opportunities at ICC events, including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and the T20 World Cup next year in England, as well as through high-performance initiatives and domestic playing opportunities.
The initiative is being advanced through a collaborative effort led by the ICC under the supervision of Deputy Chair Mr Imran Khwaja, in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA).
Proteas return to Lord’s for more celebrations | WTC25
The Proteas return to Lord’s for more celebrations following their ICC World Test Championship triumph.
During the conference, it was also announced that the England and Wales Cricket Board have been awarded hosting rights for the next three World Test Championship Finals. The first three editions of the WTC Final were held at different venues in England, with Lord’s hosting the most recent final between South Africa and Australia last month.
The ICC also welcomed two new Members, with Timor Leste Cricket Federation and Zambia Cricket Union included as Associate Members, taking the ICC’s total membership to 110.
A decision was also made on USA Cricket, who have been given three additional months to undertake comprehensive governance reforms, including but not limited to completing free and fair elections within the period.
Among other announcements, Mr Gurumurthy Palani (France Cricket), Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar (Cricket Hong Kong, China) and Mr Gurdeep Klair (Cricket Canada) were elected to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) as Associate Member representatives.
