ICC to help China set up Centre of Excellence for cricket
The ICC will assist China with a Centre of Excellence and Tier 2 events to capitalise on renewed interest after the sport's Olympic return.
ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said the world body will support China in setting up a Centre of Excellence along the lines of the ICC Academy in Dubai. Gupta told PTI that the Chinese Cricket Association has expressed strong interest in fast-tracking player development and improving facilities. Cricket's return to the Olympics at LA28 has increased government attention in China, where the sport already operates in nine of 22 provinces. Gupta said Olympic inclusion gives cricket greater relevance within institutional sporting systems and can open doors to investment and infrastructure. The ICC is also exploring a Tier 2 event with China to boost the sport's visibility. China's women's programme maintains a 50 percent female inclusion policy across all initiatives.
CricHubb Take
China's scale changes the arithmetic for global cricket growth. Even modest participation rates across a few provinces would create a market larger than most existing Full Members, shifting ICC priorities toward Asia beyond South Asia.