ICC Meeting: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold board and committee meetings in Doha from March 25 to 27, highlighting its growing involvement with cricket in Qatar.
The ICC's Doha meetings will convene a gathering of key stakeholders, including Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee Members, and senior leadership.
"The meetings will bring together ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee Members and senior leadership as part of the organisation's ongoing governance calendar. The primary purpose is to deliberate on crucial issues such as governance structure, international tournament scheduling, member development programs, and strategies for expanding cricket's global footprint," the ICC said in a statement.
“The decision to stage the meetings in Doha reflects the ICC’s growing engagement with cricket in Qatar and the country’s wider sporting ecosystem. The ICC's support of and collaboration with the Qatar Cricket Association and Olympic Committee, Cricket in Qatar has fuelled remarkable progress for the sport in recent years,” the statement further read.
The ICC reports that Qatar has witnessed a remarkable surge in cricket participation, with a 447 per cent growth since 2020, underscoring the sport's escalating popularity in the region.
"Central to this growth has been cricket's inclusion in the Qatar Olympic Committee's School Olympic Programme, which has helped embed the game within schools across the country.
"More recently, the launch of ICC's Criiio Cricket Festivals has further expanded cricket's reach, with 287 school teams taking part in the previous edition and nearly 90% of participants experiencing cricket for the first time," the world body added.
Qatar's cricket growth demonstrates the ICC's approach to developing the sport, with strategic partnerships and grassroots investment driving progress.
“Hosting the ICC’s Board and Committee meetings in Doha underlines Qatar’s increasing role within the international cricket community and provides a valuable opportunity to further strengthen the collaboration between the ICC, the Qatar Cricket Association and key national sporting stakeholders,” the statement concluded.