The ICC has given membership to three more new countries
The ICC has given membership to three more new countries. Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Switzerland have been added as associate members at the body's 78th annual meeting on Sunday.
Mongolia and Tajikistan have been given the 22nd and 23rd membership in the Asia region in this virtual meeting. Switzerland has become the 35th member of the European region. The ICC said in a statement.
In all, the number of ICC members has now increased to 106. Of these, 12 Test-playing nations are full members. The remaining 94 countries are associate members.
The Mongolian Cricket Association was established in 2007. Later in 2018, it was officially included in the National Sports Council. Currently, cricket coaching is available in 16 schools. Cricket was also included in the 2019 National Youth Games.
Not only men but also women cricket is very popular in Mongolia. Currently, 39 percent of school cricket players are women. Mongolia is looking forward to hosting the National Youth Green Games in September this year. There is also the possibility of the inclusion of cricket.
Cricket was first played in Switzerland almost two hundred years ago, in 2017. However, the country's cricket board officially started its journey in 2014. There are currently 33 cricket clubs in Switzerland. Where the junior cricket program is run at an equal pace.
The Tajikistan Cricket Federation was formed in 2011. The women's and junior cricket infrastructure has also been built with the help of the country's sports ministry and the Olympic Committee. At present, there are 22 men's teams and 15 women's teams under the federation.
In a similar statement, the ICC said Zambia and Russia had lost their membership. Their membership has been revoked for failing to meet at least three articles of the ICC constitution. However, these two countries have the opportunity to become members again.
