Bala Kamallakharan retweetledi
It's April Fools Day. Our Board have decided that today is the one day of the year when we will sensibly and seriously dissect the global game, with no jokes or japes provided.
As of April 2026, associate cricket nations, currently constituting the 98 ICC members outside the elite dozen full members, stand at a pivotal moment. They are no longer mere participators in global tournaments but genuine disruptors, especially in the T20 format. The recently concluded 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka offered the clearest evidence yet of their progress, but nevertheless exposed some structural weaknesses that must still be addressed.
Netherlands could and should have beaten Pakistan after posting 147. The USA restricted India to 161/9 and took the game deep before falling 29 runs short. Nepal pushed England to a four-run thriller, and debutants Italy secured their first-ever World Cup win, thrashing Nepal by ten wickets. All of this augurs very well for the future.
Yet the T20 World Cup is a biennial highlight, not a sustainable ecosystem. Between such events, associates operate on shoestring budgets. The ICC’s 2024-27 revenue cycle distributes roughly $600 million annually, with $533 million going to the 12 full members and only about $67 million (11-12%) shared among the 98 associates. Many would call this model 'counterproductive'. Associates crave bilateral series against full members for exposure and experience, but these opportunities are still rationed, if they even happen at all. For those nations seeking ICC associate membership status, such as ourselves and Poland, the ICC pot provides zero financial support whatsoever, greatly slowing down our capacity to tick all the relevant boxes.
Despite our concerns, positive steps are evident. The ICC announced a nearly 10% funding uplift for associates in 2026, earmarked for high-performance programs, coaching, and domestic leagues. Regional qualifiers have become more competitive, feeding fresh talent into global events. The status of women’s T20I cricket since 2018 has mirrored men’s growth, with sides such as Uganda and Rwanda emerging in Africa. Franchise leagues increasingly scout associate talent, offering pathways that once led only to migration. Asa Tribe of Jersey is becoming a global star.
The broader picture is thus one of cautious optimism. T20’s global explosion proves that cricket’s appeal transcends traditional power bases. However, without deeper reform, including even more T20 World Cup slots, equitable revenue sharing, and regular high-level fixtures, there is the danger that recent progress risks stalling. Associates need even more investment: better infrastructure, youth pathways, and the chance to host meaningful series against the 'big boy' nations.
For cricket’s long-term health, the associate tier is indispensable. A truly global game cannot thrive on twelve teams alone. The recent T20 World Cup thrilled partly because the underdogs refused to roll over. If @ICC heeds the calls for funding, exposure, and opportunity, the next decade could see more full-member promotions, Olympic qualification breakthroughs, and genuine parity in the shortest format. Associate nations have caught up in T20, and now the global game must decide whether to pull them closer or keep them at arm’s length. The talent is there, but the infrastructure and equity must follow.
English
