Cricket is expanding at a rapid pace across the globe. Many new countries have joined the bandwagon in recent years.
We have seen teams like the USA, Nepal, UAE, and Netherlands take world cricket by storm. These countries hold an associate membership in the International Cricket Council (ICC).
But what does an associate member mean?
Think of it as the second tier of international cricket. The associate membership opens up doors to world cricket.
And the countries or boards that are associate members don’t have an established cricketing history.
So, how do countries become associate members, then?
While it’s not necessary to have a history to play cricket, what helps a board acquire associate membership is having the basics in place.
Now, the most basic thing is to have the presence of cricket in the country. It’s a no-brainer.
Then comes the development of men’s and women’s cricket in the region. And a singular board should oversee the complete management.
The board should have a proper governance structure in place, which follows ICC’s set guidelines. And some basic infrastructure should be there to train players, umpires, and other personnel.
Once a board meets these requirements, it can get in touch with its respective ICC development regional office. The regional office will then send a team to check the on-field and off-field progress.
Once they feel satisfied, the boards can apply for the associate membership. Then the ICC’s membership committee will assess the conditions met by them before the final approval comes.
And what do they get after becoming an ICC associate member?
So once a board gets the associate membership, they receive all kinds of support from the ICC.
The first and foremost is the assistance in growing cricket at the grassroots level. If the sport’s base isn’t strong, then the country will find it hard to sustain. And no one would like to fall behind after getting the membership.
But developing the sport without enough funds will be tough. And here the ICC steps in with the much-needed funds.
Yes, the funds aren’t as big as what full members get. But it helps develop the sport to a good level.
This can, in turn, help the boards participate in ICC’s global qualifying tournaments. And if the country manages to qualify for the main event, then it will be a silver lining moment.
Now that was all about the on-field assistance. The ICC also assists the associate members in the off-field aspects.
The regional offices can help the associates in their governance and outreach programmes to develop cricket in the region.
Can Associates play Test cricket?
Since associates don’t have a lot of experience, they don’t get an opportunity to play Test cricket. It’s more like an exclusive club, reserved only for the full members.
And given the recent developments, it’s highly unlikely the ICC will grant Test status to a new member.
What about ODIs?
While all full members carry ODI status by default, a few associates also get the privilege. But not every associate can participate in ODIs, except for the World Cup Qualifier and the World Cup.
The teams that perform well in the ICC’s qualifying tournament will receive a temporary ODI status for four years.
And T20Is?
T20Is are open to everyone. Since 2019, all T20 matches played by associates carry T20I status.
So you must’ve noticed associates playing a lot of T20I matches these days. This is one format where associates can spin surprises. And this format can also help popularise cricket in associate countries.
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