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Cricket is not only a game; it is a feeling that millions of people in the world have. It can be the fans cheering a World Cup match, or the excitement of a Super Over, but there is nothing like cricket, which can unite people in different countries and famong ans, as a sport does. The centre of all this is one organization that controls, governs and markets the game on an international basis, the ICC.

This article will discuss the full form of ICC, its inception, purpose, operations and the importance of the same to world cricket.

What is the Full Form of ICC?

International Cricket Council is the Full Form of ICC. It is the international body of the sport of cricket, which has to control international tournaments, rules and regulations, and give a smooth flow of the matches of various formats. The ICC is dedicated to the fair and competitive representation of cricket and the game in its true essence from  Test games to T20 competitions.

Background and History of the ICC

The ICC was not always called the International Cricket Council. Since its establishment, it has changed a number of times.

• 1909 – existence as Imperial Cricket Conference:
  The formation of the ICC was initiated in the year 1909 by England, Australia, and South Africa. It was then known as the Imperial Cricket Conference and its main focus was on the matches that would be conducted between the British Commonwealth countries.
• 1965 -Changes its name to International Cricket Conference:
  With the expansion of the game outside the Commonwealth, the name was changed to International Cricket Conference to cover other countries like India, Pakistan and West Indies.
• 1989 changed its name to the International Cricket Council:
  It was later in 1989 that it transformed into the International Cricket Council and this was a big stage towards international governing of the sport.

To date, ICC has more than 100 member countries both Full Members (Test-playing countries) and Associate Members (developing cricket nations).

Structure of the ICC

ICC is an international organization based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

It has three major membership categories:

1. Full Members Countries that are playing Test cricket (e.g., India, Australia, England, South Africa).
2. Associate Members Countries with a strong base of cricket that have not yet reached the status of Tests (e.g Nepal, UAE, USA).
3. Affiliate Members previously served developing cricket countries but were combined with the Associate division in 2017.

The ICC Chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and various committees address the various issues like governance, finance, anti-corruption, and match regulations.

The ICC has a very defined vision, which is to ensure that cricket is enjoyed by all the people around the world.

Its main objectives include

• Marketing cricket across the globe and increasing its scope.
• Creating fairness, integrity and transparency of all matches.
• International tournaments and championships.
• Infrastructure building and training of the associate countries in cricket.
• Keeping records and ratings of teams and players.
• Maintaining the spirit of cricket through imposing rules and disciplinary measures where needed.
• Roles of International Cricket Council.

Functions of the International Cricket Council

ICC has a vast task that makes international cricket orderly and reputable. Now we are going to address some of its most important functions:

1. Hosting of Major Tournaments.

• ICC hosts and manages international tournaments in the field of cricket, including:
• ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI format)
• ICC T20 World Cup
• ICC Champions Trophy
• ICC World Test Championship
• ICC Under-19 World Cup
• ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

2. Setting Rules and Standards

Although the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is the custodian of the Laws of Cricket, the ICC uses these rules to administer and enforce them in the international forms. It maintains uniformity in all matches on fairness and sportsmanship.

3. Promoting Fair Play

ICC is determined to ensure the integrity of the game. It has an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) which tracks suspicious activities, betting, or match-fixing cases.
It also has anti-doping policies that are very strict and all players are fairly competing.

4. Archiving Rankings and Statistics.

ICC gives official rankings of teams and players in Test, ODI and T20. These rankings affect the qualification of tournaments, seeding and other rewards such as the ICC Player of the Year.

5. Sustaining Global Development.

The ICC is busy increasing the world base of cricket. It pays for development initiatives, constructs infrastructure, and trains in associate countries such as Nepal, Ireland, and Namibia so that they can rise to greater competition.

Large ICC Tournaments and their significance

ICC tournaments are quite exciting to the fans of cricket as they unite the best teams in the world. The following are some of the key ICC events:

1. ICC Cricket World Cup: The most valuable event in the One Day International (ODI) cricket, which is organized every four years.
2. ICC T20 World Cup: This is a rapid festival, which brings out the modern entertainment aspect of the game of cricket.
3. ICC World Test Championship: This format was first introduced in 2019 and it rewards consistency and greatness in Test cricket.
4. ICC Under-19 World Cup: A place where young talents will be able to demonstrate their abilities and become the future stars of the world of cricket.
5. ICC Women’s World Cup: This tournament promotes women’s games in all parts of the world, and this brings gender equality in sports.

All these tournaments enhance the international appeal of cricket and give memorable experiences to the spectators.

Interesting Facts About ICC

The following are some of the lesser-known facts about the ICC:

• Test matches were initially the only form of control of the ICC; limited-overs formats emerged many years later.
• The headquarters were originally in London, but in 2005 they were shifted to Dubai as it is accessible and neutral.
• ICC supervised the introduction of The Decision Review System (DRS), which enables the teams to appeal against calls taken by umpires.
• There are also annual awards by the ICC such as Cricketer of the Year, Emerging Player of the Year and Spirit of Cricket Award.

Challenges Faced by ICC

Despite the success the ICC suffers the challenges of:

• Associate nations must have equal opportunity.
• Dealing with competing schedules of matches between domestic T20 leagues and international tours.
• Workload and mental health management of players.
• Ensuring that cricket is free of corruption and ensuring that people have trust in it.

ICC is dynamic and addresses these challenges so as to make sure that cricket is a competitive, entertaining, and international sport.

Conclusion

ICC Full Form is International Cricket Council and it is the centre of the international governance of cricket. Since it can arrange the largest tournaments or secure fair competition and popularize cricket in new directions, the ICC has had a significant impact on the development of the modern game. With cricket gaining popularity, the vision of the ICC to make it a global sport is coming to reality.For more information about visit sportzbuzz.