ICC Development Awards 2024 global winners announced

Today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the exceptional initiatives and performances that took home international recognition for the 2024 ICC Development Awards. A selection of regional honourees from 15 different countries was used to choose the global winners. Eight members—Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the United States, and Vanuatu—are getting the highest awards.

The ICC Development Awards were created in 2002 to honour the creative programs and initiatives that ICC Members in developing countries have implemented to propel the sport’s global expansion. Following the launch of the ICC X Rexona Criiio Cricket Festival of the Year award, the 2024 awards will feature seven categories for the first time.

Cricket Namibia’s premier grassroots development project, the Ashburton Kwata Mini-Cricket Programme, has earned the ICC Development Initiative of the Year award. Tens of thousands of pupils in 14 local districts can now play cricket because it has been incorporated into the physical education curriculum of public schools nationwide.

The Bhutan Cricket Council Board and the Vanuatu Cricket Association will split the ICC 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year award for the first time. The Inter-School Girls’ Competition, a planned program to increase female involvement by establishing school-level competitions utilising modified forms, beginning with tennis ball cricket and moving on to hardball, is acknowledged by the Bhutan Cricket Council Board. Thousands of females have participated in the program since its start, many of whom were first exposed to cricket.

The Vanuatu Cricket Association was recognised for its “Picking Wickets” program, which combined in-person and remote coaching while squad players participated in seasonal fruit-picking occupations in Australia.

Due to their achievements over the past 12 months, which included making it to the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which was hosted by the USA and the West Indies, USA Cricket was named the ICC Associate Member Men’s Team Performance of the Year. By eliminating the Babar Azam-led squad from the competition through their triumphs against Canada and a historic victory over Pakistan, they elevated cricket and the Men’s T20 World Cup to the forefront of mainstream American press and television.

The Scotland senior women’s team qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 for the first time ever thanks to exceptional on-field performances, earning Cricket Scotland the ICC Associate Member Women’s Team Performance of the Year title. Leading the team to a historic qualifying, captain Kathryn Bryce was named Player of the Tournament at the qualifier. This has greatly increased interest in and participation in women’s cricket in Scotland.

The ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year honour has gone to the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). The company’s deliberate growth on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and their recently established CAN Domestic Facebook accounts led to a reach of roughly 117 million people overall, an increase in followers from slightly over 1.17 million to over 1.59 million, and the acquisition of over 420,000 new followers.

The popularity of domestic cricket was demonstrated by the fact that video minutes viewed on Facebook (CAN Official) doubled to over 13.4 million, while the new CAN Domestic account reached over 4.4 million minutes. With highlights, player stories, and real-time updates, Instagram views jumped over 40 million, while YouTube viewing time increased by 277% to over 2.13 million hours.

Persatuan Cricket Indonesia won the ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year award for launching “Cricket for Confidence,” a nationwide initiative to use cricket to empower schoolgirls from Indonesia’s most distant and underserved areas. In a nation of more than 17,000 islands, where organised sports for girls in rural areas are almost nonexistent, this program set new social, geographic, and cultural records. More than 300 schoolgirls from five different provinces took part in what was, for the majority, their first time engaging in structured physical activity.

In recognition of their “From kitchen to crease” program, which inspired housewives, working professionals, and even retired cricket players to participate in an inspiring day of cricket and sisterhood, Tanzania and Rexona were named the ICC Criiio Cricket Festival of the Year. The event took place in Dar es Salaam and brought together 120 women.

“It is a pleasure to announce the global winners of the ICC Development Awards,” said ICC Chairman Jay Shah. All of the awardees are deserving of the recognition they have earned for their efforts to expand the game in developing countries, making this a celebration of global exceptionality.

These Awards, which are given out annually, rightfully highlight the inspiring tales of global progress, and this year is no exception. We join the rest of the world in honouring the drive, diligence, and creativity that went into these fruitful endeavours. I want to thank everyone for their accomplishments and hope that these programs continue to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

The following individuals will serve on the Global ICC Development Awards 2024 judging panel:

VVS Laxman (Director National Cricket Academy, BCCI), Michael Baird (Chair, Cricket Australia), Kishore Shallow (Chair, Cricket West Indies), Warren Deutrom (CEO, Cricket Ireland), Ashley De Silva (CEO, Sri Lanka Cricket), Givemore Makoni (CEO, Zimbabwe Cricket), Samuel Badree (former West Indies men’s player), Katey Martin (former New Zealand women’s player), Cynthia McCaffrey (UNICEF India representative), Nitin Agarwal (Head of Marketing, Unilever International), Kass Naidoo (Broadcaster),

Finalists for the 2024 Global ICC Development Awards