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Agence France-Presse

China is emerging as a key target for growth as the International Cricket Council seeks new fans worldwide, its chief executive says.
While South Asia accounts for about 90 per cent of cricket’s billion-plus fans, the ICC is seeking to expand the sport’s fan base by 500 million and sees China’s 1.4 billion people as a potentially huge audience – helped by the steady progress of its women’s team.
“The continued success of their women’s team has provided a major boost to cricket in the country,” ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said.
China became a focus market after hosting cricket at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and through the progress of its women’s national team, which have climbed 10 places in the world rankings over the past two years.
There is still far to go, however. In the ICC T20 rankings the women are ranked a modest 36th, while the men languish in 92nd place.
The women were also knocked out of the Asian Games on Thursday without a ball being bowled, two days before the opening ceremony.

A sodden outfield caused by days of rain in Nagoya, Japan, prevented any play from taking place in China’s morning quarter-final against Bangladesh, who went through to the semi-finals by virtue of being the higher-ranked team.
Still, China is one of several markets the ICC sees as crucial to broadening cricket’s appeal beyond its traditional strongholds of South Asia, England and Australia.
The ICC has spent US$1.5 million in China to boost the sport over the past five years.
The country now has three top-level cricket venues, including a new 1,500-seat stadium in Taicang expected to host domestic and international matches and provide a training base for the national teams.
The ICC has begun testing the appetite for the sport in China.
Some women’s T20 World Cup matches were broadcast in Mandarin, and the final week of the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup generated 4.4 million video views in China.
The country’s potential emergence is particularly significant for the ICC because, unlike several newer cricket nations, its men’s and women’s teams are made up largely of home-grown players rather than players from South Asian communities.
Indonesia, a country of around 280 million people, has also been identified as a market with growth potential. Its men’s team T20 ranking is No 63 and the women’s team are No 23.
“If even segments of the population in China and Indonesia start engaging with the sport, then they could power the next leap in the scale of cricket’s fandom,” Gupta said.
“It can play a significant role in the sport’s ambition to add 500 million fans to its global fan base, which is the ICC chair’s stated ambition.”
The ICC believes cricket’s return to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games could provide another boost, with men’s and women’s T20 tournaments set to award medals for the first time since the sport’s lone previous appearance in 1900.
The ICC’s push into new markets has paid off elsewhere.
Italy offered a glimpse of the potential of another non-traditional market when it made its men’s T20 World Cup debut earlier this year, beating Nepal and pushing England close.
The ICC push has the backing of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodian of the game’s laws.
“MCC is very pleased to be sending a women’s team for an overseas tour of China in 2027,” MCC director of cricket and operations Rob Lynch said.
“We see this tour as a huge opportunity to be able to grow the game in China,” he added.


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ICC (International Cricket Council)

China became a focus market after hosting cricket at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and through the progress of its women’s national team. Photo: AFP

China’s players leave the ground after the cancellation of their Asian Games women’s cricket match. Photo: Kyodo

Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long ready to rise to challenge overcome by Djokovic, Guardiola

Double Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long will be competing in his fourth Asian Games. Photo: Elson Li

Greg Koenig (right) is seeking ways to motivate Cheung Ka-long for the forthcoming Asian Games. Photo: Handout

Enzo Lefort, partied for eight days after claiming team foil silver at the 2016 Olympics. Photo: Edmond So

Asian Games: China athletes stuck at Nagoya airport with no food, way out for 7 hours

Members of the Chinese gymnastics team try and stay relaxed during their long wait Nagoya airport. Photos: Xinhua

Sport

Cricket

China

Women’s team have climbed 10 places in world rankings over the past two years, but were knocked out of Asian Games without a ball being bowled


Women’s team have climbed 10 places in world rankings over the past two years, but were knocked out of Asian Games without a ball being bowled.


China emerges as key growth market for ICC in bid to expand cricket worldwide

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Women’s team have climbed 10 places in world rankings over the past two years, but were knocked out of Asian Games without a ball being bowled

Women’s team have climbed 10 places in world rankings over the past two years, but were knocked out of Asian Games without a ball being bowled