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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has secured the hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Finals in 2027, 2029, and 2031. The decision was confirmed at the ICC Annual Conference held in Singapore, with the ECB being recognised for its strong track record in successfully hosting recent global finals.Among the key outcomes from the conference, the ICC provided an update on its ongoing initiative to support displaced women cricketers of Afghan origin. This support programme is being driven in collaboration with the BCCI, ECB, and Cricket Australia, and is overseen by ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja.The initiative aims to offer structured assistance, including high-performance training, domestic playing opportunities, and involvement in major ICC global events — such as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England.In its statement regarding USA Cricket, the ICC reaffirmed its earlier stance, stating that the body remains under notice. USA Cricket has been directed to carry out wide-ranging governance reforms — including the conduct of free and fair elections — within a three-month window. The ICC Board reserves the right to take further action if necessary.Meanwhile, Gurumurthy Palani (France Cricket), Anuraag Bhatnagar (Cricket Hong Kong, China), and Gurdeep Klair (Cricket Canada) have been elected as Associate Member representatives to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC).
The ICC also expressed formal gratitude to outgoing ICC CEO Geoff Allardice and CEC members Sumod Damodar (Botswana Cricket Association), Rashpal Bajwa (Cricket Canada), and Umair Butt (Cricket Denmark) for their contributions to the global game.In a further development, two new members — the Timor-Leste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union — were granted Associate Membership, taking the total number of ICC members to 110.Additionally, the ICC AGM formally adopted the annual report and audited financial accounts of the ICC Group for the year 2024, along with the auditor’s report.
