China’s cricket ambitions are gathering momentum as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) pursue plans to bring an international tournament to the country, establish a high-performance Centre of Excellence and expand the sport’s place within China’s national sporting system.
The proposals come alongside a notable financial development for Chinese cricket: the CCA recorded the highest non-ICC revenue among all ICC Associate Members in 2024. The association has also received more than US$1.5 million in ICC funding over the past five years, while its latest ambitions extend from international competition and player development to school programmes and women’s participation.
For ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta, China’s importance extends beyond its potential as a cricket-playing nation. The governing body’s plans also encompass audience development and engagement with sporting authorities, with cricket’s return to the Olympic Games providing a new opportunity to strengthen the sport’s institutional position.
China pursues international tournament hosting
The CCA is seeking to bring an ICC Tier 2 competition to China as part of its plans to develop the country’s cricket infrastructure.
A recently opened cricket venue with a capacity of 1,500 spectators represents one addition to the facilities available in the country. The association’s longer-term hosting ambitions, however, involve further development and upgrades.
Gupta told PTI in an exclusive interview: “The Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) is striving to develop and upgrade infrastructure with the ambition of hosting an ICC Tier 2 event in the near future. The staging of the event will be a strong signal to the government machinery of both the ICC’s resolve to grow the sport in China and the support the CCA can receive if it is ambitious about the prospects of the sport.”
The proposed tournament forms part of a development agenda that also involves securing greater attention from China’s established sports administration. ICC assistance could encourage the General Administration of Sport in China (GASC) to take a more active role in supporting cricket.
Women’s cricket and digital reach shape market development
China’s potential contribution to the international game is not limited to hosting competitions. The ICC is also targeting participation and viewership, with women’s cricket occupying an important position in its approach.
The CCA already operates a policy requiring 50% female inclusion across its programmes, providing a defined participation commitment within the association’s development activities.
Gupta said: “China is an important geography for cricket, both as a market and a participating nation, especially in women’s cricket because of the sheer scale that it offers. Securing attention, and hopefully affiliation, of even a segment of the available audience in China can significantly bolster cricket’s global fandom.”
The ICC has taken steps to make its major competitions accessible to Chinese-speaking audiences. Both the 2026 Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups were streamed in Mandarin on Chinese digital platforms, with the men’s tournament generating 4.4 million video views during its final week.
The governing body’s approach also includes creating opportunities for people to play cricket and establishing cultural connections with the game, rather than relying on broadcasting alone.
High-performance academy forms part of development plans
Beyond expanding cricket’s audience, the ICC and CCA are working on a proposal to establish a Centre of Excellence in China.
The project is intended to support higher-level player development, with the Chinese association looking to draw on an existing international academy model.
Gupta explained: “The CCA has expressed a strong desire to institute, with ICC’s support, a centre of excellence, along the lines of the ICC Academy in the UAE, to fast-track player development and enhance facilities available for high-performance programs.”
The proposal sits within a broader effort to establish stronger player pathways. That includes developing coaches, improving facilities and encouraging provincial investment so that opportunities to participate are supported by more structured cricket programmes.
Olympic inclusion changes the institutional landscape
Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, following a 128-year absence, has become a significant factor in the ICC’s plans for markets where the sport has not traditionally occupied a prominent position.
Olympic recognition offers national cricket bodies a different route into sporting systems that place considerable importance on international multi-sport competition. In countries where government support is influenced by medal opportunities, that status can affect how a sport is considered for development resources.
Gupta noted: “Olympic inclusion gives cricket greater relevance within institutional sporting systems and can open the door to greater government attention, investment, infrastructure and player development. We are already seeing these dynamics play out in markets such as China.”
China’s existing cricket activity provides a starting point for that engagement. The sport currently has a presence in nine of the country’s 22 provinces.
During a 10-day visit to China within his first six months at the ICC, Gupta encountered established cricket activity in certain provinces and interest from provincial and local authorities in adopting the sport.
National Games ambition puts provincial participation in focus
The ICC and CCA are also seeking to establish cricket within China’s domestic multi-sport competition structure.
The sport has already gained exposure through the Asian Games, while the country’s National Games represent a separate opportunity to engage provincial sporting organisations.
Gupta stated: “The Asian Games have also given cricket meaningful visibility in China, particularly following the Hangzhou Games in 2022, and deeper integration into the country’s domestic sporting structure would be a significant step. Cricket’s inclusion in China’s National Games could supercharge the momentum.”
The emphasis on domestic competition reflects the ICC’s view that regional, national and other multi-sport events can help attract institutional support, particularly in sporting cultures where medal performance carries considerable importance.
School cricket commitments extend the development agenda
Alongside the proposals involving elite cricket and national competitions, the ICC has received commitments relating to cricket programmes in Chinese schools.
These initiatives would introduce the game through educational institutions in provinces where local authorities have expressed interest in its development.
Gupta added: “We also received commitments for programmes to be launched in schools across provinces such as Shandong and Tianjin. The immediate goal of both the ICC and the CCA is to have cricket included in China’s National Games, which will give the sport national prominence and drive adoption of the sport across provinces.”
The commitments in Shandong and Tianjin provide specific locations for the next stage of school-level development. The programmes have yet to be described as launched, while the proposed Centre of Excellence and ICC Tier 2 event remain ambitions rather than confirmed projects.
