How Many Countries Play Cricket? (List of ICC Members)

Cricket has traveled far from its English village greens. Today, the sport touches lives across 6 continents, from the sun-baked grounds of Namibia to the snow-capped peaks of Afghanistan.

Cricket is officially played in 110 ICC member nations. There are 12 Full Members with Test status and 98 Associate Members competing in limited-overs cricket.

Zambia and Timor-Leste were recently added to the list in the ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Singapore. Before that, the total number of countries was 108. 

This guide breaks down every ICC member nation, giving you a clear picture on how much cricket is spreading worldwide. 

ICC Full Members List: Cricket’s Elite Nations

Here are the countries that hold Test status, listed with their ICC membership dates and Test cricket debut:

Country	ICC Member Since	First Test Match	Notable Achievement
Australia	June 15, 1909	1877	6 ODI World Cups (most recent: 2023)
England	June 15, 1909	1877	Birthplace of cricket; 2019 ODI World Cup winners
South Africa	June 15, 1909	1889	2025 World Test Championship winners
India	May 31, 1926	1932	2 ODI World Cups; 2 T20 World Cups, IPL global phenomenon
West Indies	May 31, 1926	1928	2 ODI World Cups (1975, 1979); 2 T20 World Cups
New Zealand	May 31, 1926	1930	First-ever World Test Championship winners
Pakistan	July 28, 1952	1952	1992 ODI & 2009 T20 World Cup champions
Sri Lanka	July 21, 1981	1982	1996 ODI & 2014 T20 World Cup winners
Zimbabwe	July 6, 1992	1992	Full Member since 1992
Bangladesh	June 26, 2000	2000	Rapid rise in ODI cricket
Afghanistan	June 22, 2017	2018	Fastest rise from Associate to Full Member
Ireland	June 22, 2017	2018	Famous for giant-killing performances

1. India

India doesn’t just play cricket. They fund global cricket. The BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world by a large margin, which means when India tours any country, that cricket board earns enough to run for years.

India’s IPL transformed cricket into the ultimate entertainment spectacle. It attracts the world’s best players every summer and proves that cricket can compete with any sport for viewer attention.

2. Australia

They invented the concept of sledging opponents until they crack under pressure. Their culture demands aggression in every session, which explains why they’ve reached 8 World Cup finals and won 6. Australian players are taught from childhood that drawing a Test match is almost as bad as losing.

Don Bradman’s batting average of 99.94 remains cricket’s most unbreakable record. Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting led teams that dominated world cricket for years. And stars like Steve Smith and Pat Cummins keep the winning tradition alive.

3. England

They created cricket but spent 44 years failing to win their own World Cup format. After the 2015 disaster, they rebuilt everything. Suddenly, 300 wasn’t a safe ODI score anymore because England would chase it in 40 overs.

They finally won in 2019 through a Super Over, the most dramatic World Cup final ever played. England now plays fearless cricket that entertains even when they lose.

4. Pakistan

They produce fast bowlers the way Brazil produces footballers, naturally and constantly. Or at least they used to! No cricket academy teaches the reverse swing that Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis mastered, or the raw pace of Shoaib Akhtar.

Pakistan’s unpredictability is its trademark. They can beat anyone on their day or lose to anyone on their off day. They won the 1992 World Cup when nobody gave them a chance. They lifted the 2009 T20 World Cup in England.

5. South Africa

They carried the heaviest burden in cricket for decades. They’ve never won an ODI World Cup despite having some of the greatest players ever. The “chokers” tag hurt because they’ve been so good at everything except winning semifinals.

But history changed in 2025. South Africa won the ICC World Test Championship by beating Australia! Finally, they have a world title that matches their talent.

6. New Zealand

Known as the ‘Blackcaps’, the New Zealand cricket team proves that nice guys don’t always finish last. They lost 2 World Cup finals in heartbreaking fashion in 2015 and 2019. But they won respect for playing cricket the right way, especially after being robbed of the 2019 World Cup! 

Their 2021 World Test Championship victory against India finally gave them a world title. And Former captain Kane Williamson’s calm captaincy showed you don’t need aggression to win matches. Every team respects New Zealand, not just for their skills but for how they play the game. 

7. West Indies

They once made batsmen worldwide fear for their safety. In the 1980s, facing four consecutive fast bowlers bowling at 90+ mph meant survival, not scoring runs. Viv Richards walked to the crease without a helmet, facing the fastest bowlers with just skill and courage.

That era ended decades ago. But their T20 dominance keeps the legacy alive. They won the T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016.

8. Sri Lanka

They changed cricket forever with their approach in the 1996 World Cup. Attack the first 10 overs when fielding restrictions existed. Before Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, opening batsmen played carefully. They smashed that theory and created modern aggressive ODI cricket.

Muttiah Muralitharan’s 800 Test wickets remain a record that might never be broken. Kumar Sangakkara scored runs with grace and wisdom. And their 2014 T20 World Cup victory proved they could adapt to any format.

9. Bangladesh

It took them over 4 years to win their first Test match after gaining Test status. That 2005 victory against Zimbabwe meant everything because it proved they belonged.

Now they’re dangerous at home. Their spinning pitches have defeated England, Australia, and South Africa. Former players like Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal performed well against every major team.

10. Zimbabwe

Their cricket mirrors their country’s struggles. In the early 2000s, they competed with every major team! Heath Streak and Andy Flower were world-class. The economic collapse and player exodus destroyed their team.

They’ve rebuilt slowly. And beating Pakistan and Australia in recent years shows that the talent still exists despite limited resources. Zimbabwe’s determination to keep playing deserves respect. They never gave up, even when everything seemed impossible.

11. Afghanistan

They played their first official match in 1995, gained ICC membership in 2001, and reached Test status by 2017. The fastest rise in cricket history.

Their spin-bowling factory produces world-class leg-spinners like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who learned cricket in refugee camps. They’ve beaten Test nations regularly in limited-overs cricket. 

12. Ireland

They spent decades embarrassing Test nations as an Associate. Remember Kevin O’Brien’s 2011 World Cup century against England? The fastest in World Cup history. That innings announced Ireland’s arrival.

They earned Test status in 2017 but struggled financially because they lacked decent crowds or broadcast deals. Their players often choose English county cricket over representing Ireland because it pays better.

Updated ICC Associate Members List

Associate Members play ODIs and T20Is while building infrastructure for future Test status. And some just play T20s only! 

Here’s the complete list for you. 

No	Country	Governing Body	Region
1	Argentina	Argentine Cricket Association	Americas
2	Austria	Austrian Cricket Association	Europe
3	Bahamas	Bahamas Cricket Association	Americas
4	Bahrain	Bahrain Cricket Federation	Asia
5	Belgium	Belgian Cricket Federation	Europe
6	Belize	Belize National Cricket Association	Americas
7	Bermuda	Bermuda Cricket Board	Americas
8	Bhutan	Bhutan Cricket Council Board	Asia
9	Botswana	Botswana Cricket Association	Africa
10	Brazil	Brazilian Cricket Confederation	Americas
11	Bulgaria	Bulgarian Cricket Federation	Europe
12	Cambodia	Cricket Association of Cambodia	Asia
13	Cameroon	Cameroon Cricket Federation	Africa
14	Canada	Cricket Canada	Americas
15	Cayman Islands	Cayman Islands Cricket Association	Americas
16	Chile	Cricket Chile	Americas
17	China	Chinese Cricket Association	Asia
18	Cook Islands	Cook Islands Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
19	Costa Rica	Costa Rica Cricket Federation	Americas
20	Croatia	Croatian Cricket Federation	Europe
21	Cyprus	Cyprus Cricket Association	Europe
22	Czech Republic	Czech Cricket	Europe
23	Denmark	Danish Cricket Federation	Europe
24	Estonia	Estonian Cricket Association	Europe
25	Eswatini	Eswatini Cricket Association	Africa
26	Falkland Islands	Falkland Cricket Association	Americas
27	Fiji	Cricket Fiji	East Asia-Pacific
28	Finland	Cricket Finland	Europe
29	France	France Cricket	Europe
30	Gambia	Gambia Cricket Association	Africa
31	Germany	German Cricket Federation	Europe
32	Ghana	Ghana Cricket Association	Africa
33	Gibraltar	Gibraltar Cricket Association	Europe
34	Greece	Hellenic Cricket Federation	Europe
35	Guernsey	Guernsey Cricket Board	Europe
36	Hong Kong	Cricket Hong Kong	Asia
37	Hungary	Hungarian Cricket Association	Europe
38	Indonesia	Indonesian Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
39	Iran	Iran Cricket Association	Asia
40	Isle of Man	Isle of Man Cricket Association	Europe
41	Israel	Israel Cricket Association	Europe
42	Italy	Italian Cricket Federation	Europe
43	Ivory Coast	Côte d’Ivoire Cricket Federation	Africa
44	Japan	Japan Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
45	Jersey	Jersey Cricket Board	Europe
46	Kenya	Cricket Kenya	Africa
47	Kuwait	Kuwait Cricket	Asia
48	Lesotho	Lesotho Cricket Association	Africa
49	Luxembourg	Luxembourg Cricket Federation	Europe
50	Malawi	Malawi Cricket Union	Africa
51	Malaysia	Malaysian Cricket Association	Asia
52	Maldives	Cricket Board of Maldives	Asia
53	Mali	Malian Cricket Federation	Africa
54	Malta	Malta Cricket Association	Europe
55	Mexico	Mexico Cricket Association	Americas
56	Mongolia	Mongolia Cricket Association	Asia
57	Mozambique	Mozambican Cricket Association	Africa
58	Myanmar	Myanmar Cricket Federation	Asia
59	Namibia	Cricket Namibia	Africa
60	Nepal	Cricket Association of Nepal	Asia
61	Netherlands	Royal Dutch Cricket Association	Europe
62	Nigeria	Nigeria Cricket Federation	Africa
63	Norway	Norwegian Cricket Federation	Europe
64	Oman	Oman Cricket	Asia
65	Panama	Panama Cricket Association	Americas
66	Papua New Guinea	Cricket PNG	East Asia-Pacific
67	Peru	Cricket Peru	Americas
68	Philippines	Philippine Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
69	Portugal	Portuguese Cricket Federation	Europe
70	Qatar	Qatar Cricket Association	Asia
71	Romania	Cricket Romania	Europe
72	Rwanda	Rwanda Cricket Association	Africa
73	Saint Helena	St Helena Cricket Association	Africa
74	Samoa	Samoa International Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
75	Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation	Asia
76	Scotland	Cricket Scotland	Europe
77	Serbia	Serbian Cricket Federation	Europe
78	Seychelles	Seychelles Cricket Association	Africa
79	Sierra Leone	Sierra Leone Cricket Association	Africa
80	Singapore	Singapore Cricket Association	Asia
81	Slovenia	Slovenian Cricket Association	Europe
82	South Korea	Korea Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
83	Spain	Cricket Spain	Europe
84	Suriname	Suriname Cricket Board	Americas
85	Sweden	Swedish Cricket Federation	Europe
86	Switzerland	Cricket Switzerland	Europe
87	Tajikistan	Tajikistan Cricket Federation	Asia
88	Tanzania	Tanzania Cricket Association	Africa
89	Thailand	Cricket Association of Thailand	Asia
90	Timor-Leste	Timor-Leste Cricket Board	East Asia-Pacific
91	Turkey	Cricket Turkey	Europe
92	Turks and Caicos Islands	Turks and Caicos Cricket Association	Americas
93	Uganda	Uganda Cricket Association	Africa
94	UAE	Emirates Cricket Board	Asia
95	USA	USA Cricket	Americas
96	Uzbekistan	Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan	Asia
97	Vanuatu	Vanuatu Cricket Association	East Asia-Pacific
98	Zambia	Zambia Cricket Union	Africa

Related Reads:

• How ICC Rankings Are Calculated
• ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule

Conclusion: A Total Of 110 Countries Play Cricket

Cricket unites 110 official member nations and countless unofficial communities worldwide. The 12 Full Members provide elite competition and financial stability. The 98 Associate Members represent cricket’s future growth markets.

The question isn’t just “How many countries play cricket?” anymore. The question is: “How many countries will play cricket in 2035?”

With the Olympics’ inclusion in 2028, streaming technology, and global investment, cricket’s future has never looked brighter! 

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