ICC annual conference ends with key announcements

The ICC Annual Conference concluded in Colombo on Monday, gathering all 108 ICC Members for the ICC Board and ICC Annual General Meeting.

The four-day event, themed "Capitalising on the Olympic Opportunity," focused on cricket's inclusion in the LA28 Olympics, just days before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

During the conference, the ICC Board announced a comprehensive review of the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This review will be overseen by three directors—Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja—who will report their findings to the Board later this year.

USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have received a 12-month notice to address their non-compliance with ICC Membership Criteria, specifically in governance and administrative structures.

The ICC Americas office will assist Cricket Chile, while a Normalisation Committee comprising Board and Management representatives will monitor USA Cricket's compliance roadmap. The ICC Board reserves the right to suspend or expel any member for ongoing non-compliance.

The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) has allocated eight regional qualifying spots for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Two teams will qualify from Africa and Europe, one from the Americas, and three from a combined Asia and EAP regional final. In its commitment to equity, the ICC has confirmed the expansion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup from 12 to 16 teams starting in 2030.

The qualification cut-off date for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier is set for 31 October 2024.

Furthermore, the CEC approved the appointment of Paul Reiffel to the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee as the Elite Panel representative.