How Many Countries Play Cricket in the World

Cricket, which has always been very popular in India, is undergoing a global expansion. One of the biggest proofs of this is the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics, which will take place starting with the next edition in Los Angeles in 2028. Only sports that reach all continents and have a good level of competitiveness are included in the Olympics.

With this expansion, many are asking how many cricket playing countries play cricket around the world. Here, we will discuss the number of countries that play the sport in detail, dividing them into official members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), associate member countries, and finally, regional confederations that give an idea of how many countries play the sport on each continent.

Official ICC Member Countries - Test Matches cricket playing countries

Currently, the International Cricket Council has 12 member countries. What sets them apart from the rest is that these countries can compete in Test Matches, which are the most important matches in the sport and have the longest duration. These matches last 4 to 5 days and attract large audiences and passionate players in countries where cricket is popular. Currently, these are the official member countries of the ICC:

Australia - member since 1909
England - Member since 1909
South Africa - Member since 1909
India - Member since 1926
West Indies - Member since 1926
New Zealand - Member since 1926
Pakistan - Member since 1952
Sri Lanka - Member since 1981
Zimbabwe - Member since 1992
Bangladesh - Member since 2000
Afghanistan - Member since 2017
Ireland - Member since 2017

So, the continental division of ICC member countries is as follows:

Oceania - 2 countries
Asia - 5 countries
Americas - 1 country
Africa - 2 countries
Europe - 2 countries

The date of inclusion of countries in the official ICC list also shows how the sport expanded from traditional commonwealth nations to a much wider group of cricket playing countries across different continents. Initially, only Africa, Europe, and Oceania were included. However, from 1926 onwards, Asia began to occupy a large space, and today it is the continent with the largest number of representatives.

Full Members vs Associate Members

In addition to the full members of the International Cricket Council, some countries are associate members. There are some differences in status. These countries cannot compete in Test Matches, but they can participate in ODIs and T20Is. In total, there are 96 associate members.

These two types of matches are much shorter. Many associate teams also compete in regional and international cup tournaments, which help develop experience and exposure for emerging players. In T20, a match lasts about 3 hours, which is enough to attract a good audience in countries where the sport is on the rise, as is the case with associate members. ODIs stand for One Day Internationals, comprising matches that are played over the course of a day, usually lasting approximately 8 hours.

Depending on the evolution of cricket in the countries that are associate members, they can move up a level and achieve full member status on the cricket board. This is the case for Afghanistan and Ireland, which became official members in 2017 but are still part of the Associate Countries.

It is worth remembering that not all countries that are associate members can compete in T20Is and ODI (One Day International). Some are only qualified for T20. In addition to countries, some independent territories are also members of the ICC.

Now, see the complete list of International Cricket Council associate members divided by continent:

Europe: Scotland, Netherlands, Denmark, Jersey, Guernsey, Italy, Norway, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Israel, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, France, Cyprus, Malta, Isle of Man.
Asia: Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Japan, Iran, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Bhutan, Bahrain, Philippines.
Africa: Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mozambique, Mali, Malawi, Lesotho, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Eswatini, Cameroon, Botswana.
Americas: USA, Canada, Bermuda, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, Mexico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Chile, Cayman Islands, Brazil, Belize, Argentina, Falkland Islands, West Indies.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu

Cricket Playing Nations by Region - How many countries play cricket in World?

We will now use information from the International Cricket Council as a basis to address the status of each region, covering the major powers and emerging countries.

In Africa, there are 22 members, including full members and associate members. The most notable is South Africa, a member of the ICC since the council's inception. Considering that almost half of the countries on the continent are represented, the success of African cricket is evident. Among the current highlights is Namibia, which has been achieving good results recently and is proving to be a potential candidate to become a full member.

In Asia, there are 24 ICC members. India is clearly the biggest name in the sport. However, some countries are developing very quickly. The main highlight is Afghanistan, which has managed to evolve to the point of becoming a full member of the ICC. Oman is also achieving good results recently and positioning itself as a potential candidate for full membership.

Considering the East Asia/Pacific region, there are only 11 members, but several of them are very relevant in the sport, especially Australia and New Zealand. Recently, the Papua New Guinea national team has been gaining prominence in competitions.

In the Americas, cricket is still very unpopular, so much so that it only has the West Indies as its representative in the full members of the ICC. In total, there are 17 cricketers countries listed as associate members. Countries in Central and North America are achieving a small degree of prominence, such as Canada and Bermuda. In South America, Brazil has shown some progress, but is still far from being eligible for full membership.

Europe has 34 countries in the ICC, with England, where the sport began, being the main highlight. The continent is home to the two most prominent associate members at the moment, Scotland and the Netherlands. Therefore, these two countries may soon appear on the list of full members.

How many countries are there in T20?

All 96 member countries of the International Cricket Council play T20 matches. Some of them play only T20 International, while others also play ODI matches. However, no country plays only ODI.

The countries that can play T20 and ODI are: Scotland, Netherlands, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Canada.

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