Our Bureau
Dubai
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is preparing a major expansion of cricket in China, with plans to support the establishment of a Centre of Excellence and help the Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) host a Tier 2 international event. The initiative comes as cricket gains renewed relevance following its return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the governing body is working with the CCA to develop a Centre of Excellence modelled on the ICC Academy in the UAE. The facility is expected to strengthen player development, improve high-performance programmes and upgrade cricket infrastructure in the country.
The ICC also wants China to include cricket in its National Games, a move that could give the sport greater institutional visibility and encourage wider government and provincial support. Cricket is currently present in nine of China’s 22 provinces, while programmes are also being planned in schools in provinces including Shandong and Tianjin.
The proposed Tier 2 event would be another important step in establishing China as a cricketing market. A new 1,500-capacity cricket venue has already been launched, while the CCA is working to further upgrade facilities.
Women’s cricket is also expected to be a key part of the expansion strategy, with the ICC seeking to make the sport more accessible and increase participation. The organisation has already streamed the 2026 men’s and women’s T20 World Cups in Mandarin on Chinese platforms.
The ICC’s growing focus on China reflects the wider impact of cricket’s Olympic inclusion. Gupta said the development could encourage greater government attention, investment, infrastructure and player-development opportunities in markets where cricket has traditionally had limited reach.