The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially unveiled the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards, recognising outstanding contributions by its Associate Members. With cricket expanding far beyond its traditional powerhouses, the awards celebrate excellence in grassroots growth, gender inclusion, digital outreach, and social impact.

This year, eight Associate nations, Namibia, Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, USA, and Vanuatu emerged as global winners across seven revamped categories, including the debut of the ICC X Rexona criiio Festival of the Year.

Namibia: Development Initiative of the Year

Namibia once again demonstrated its development strength, winning Development Initiative of the Year for its Ashburton Kwata Mini-Cricket Programme. A flagship initiative now embedded into physical education classes across public schools, the programme has introduced cricket to tens of thousands of children across 14 regions. The initiative has become a model for sustainable grassroots growth in emerging nations.

Bhutan & Vanuatu: Female Cricket Initiative of the Year

This year saw two winners share the spotlight in the Female Cricket Initiative of the Year category. Bhutan Cricket Council Board was honoured for its Inter-School Girls’ Competition. Using modified formats and starting with tennis ball cricket, the competition has brought thousands of new girls into the sport, many of them first-time players.

Vanuatu Cricket Association received recognition for its unique “Picking Wickets” programme. Combining seasonal work in Australia with remote coaching, the initiative allowed players to stay connected to cricket while earning income abroad.

USA: Men’s Team Performance of the Year

One of the standout stories of the year came from USA Cricket, which claimed Men’s Team Performance of the Year after a historic run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Their Super Eight qualification and unforgettable victory over Pakistan caught the imagination of the global cricketing community and helped popularise the sport in a major non-traditional market.

ALSO SEE: Zimbabwe to host Africa Regional Final for 2026 T20 World Cup Qualification

Scotland: Women’s Team Performance of the Year

Scotland lifted the Women’s Team Performance of the Year award, having qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time. Led by inspirational captain Kathryn Bryce, who was named Player of the Tournament during the qualifiers, Scotland’s qualification has sparked growing interest in women’s cricket back home.

Nepal: Digital Fan Engagement of the Year

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) took home the Digital Fan Engagement of the Year award after an impressive rise in online presence. Their strategic use of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), plus the launch of the CAN Domestic account, resulted in:

• Over 117 million total reach
  
• More than 420,000 new followers
  
• 2.13 million hours of YouTube watch time
  
• 13.4 million minutes of Facebook video views
  

These numbers reflect Nepal’s growing cricket-mad fanbase and the effectiveness of their digital strategy.

Indonesia: Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative

Indonesia won the Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year for its "Cricket for Confidence" programme, which empowered over 300 rural schoolgirls in remote provinces. Many participants had never experienced structured sports before. The initiative broke ground socially, geographically, and culturally, truly embodying the spirit of cricket for development.

Tanzania: ICC X Rexona criiio Festival of the Year

A new category this year, the ICC X Rexona criiio Festival of the Year, was claimed by the Tanzania Cricket Association for their “From Kitchen to Crease” festival. Hosted in Dar es Salaam, the event united 120 women, including housewives and professionals, for a day of cricket, sisterhood, and empowerment. The programme has left a lasting impact on women’s participation in Tanzania.

Celebrating Growth and Passion

Commenting on the winners, ICC Chair Jay Shah said: “This is a celebration of global exceptionalism, with all winners worthy of the accolades they have received in their mission to grow the game. These awards spotlight the remarkable stories of growth taking place around the world.”

With powerful stories from all corners of the globe, the 2024 ICC Development Awards show that cricket’s heartbeat is stronger than ever, not just at the elite level, but in communities where the game is becoming a force for change.