The Imperial Cricket Conference was formed in 1909. Today, it is known as the International Cricket Council. It is responsible for granting full and associate membership to cricket playing countries depending on the organization and popularity of the sport in the country.
As of July 2025, 12 teams have full-time membership. These are India, Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Ireland, and Afghanistan. Additionally, 96 teams are associate members, all of whom are given a T20 International status. As of July 2025, Netherlands, Scotland, and United Arab Emirates are the only countries who are associate members with both their men’s and women’s sides with an ODI status.
An ODI status exclusive to the men’s side is with the following associates – Canada, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, and USA. On the women’s side the ODI status is exclusively granted to Thailand and Papa New Guinea. Countries who were previously members of the International Cricket Council but later expelled include Brunei, Cuba, Russia, Morocco, Zambia, and Tonga.
The five continental bodies that monitor cricket developments and report to the International Cricket Council are the Asian Cricket Council, Africa Cricket Association, ICC East Asia-Pacific, ICC Americas, and ICC Europe.
The criteria to become an associate member of the International Cricket Council is as follows.
a) Must have a domestic cricket structure
b) Must have a recognized administrative body
c) Must host domestic cricket competitions
d) Must have at least two cricket grounds in the country
e) Must have a national development plan and an annual budget.
An associate member can progress further to become a full member if they can achieve the following list.
a) Must have at least three appearances in the men’s Cricket World Cups or men’s T20 World Cups in the previous ICC Hosts cycle as per the Future Tours Program.
b) Must have four wins against two or more full members in the previous ICC Hosts cycle.
c) Must have at least one appearance in the women’s cricket World Cup or the women’s T20 World Cup in the previous women’s ICC Hosts cycle.
d) Must be present in the current women’s ODI rankings.
If a member fails to adhere to the above criteria, then they can be expelled by the International Cricket Council.
