ICC take over women’s cricket

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC), governing body for world cricket, will now formally assume the responsibility of running women’s international cricket following an amalgamation with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC). The IWCC ratified the proposed merger at their AGM during the Women’s World Cup this weekend in South Africa. An ICC advisory committee will replace the 47-year-old IWCC that was founded in 1958, and its former vice-president, Betty Timmer, will chair the new body.

Timmer recognised the significance of the move, saying “It’s great and exciting, and a very big step forward for women’s cricket globally.” The move is set to have a massive impact on the women’s game that has struggled in administrative and financial terms. “Hopefully we will get in a few years an Under-21 World Cup and more development of women’s cricket. Now we can use all the 94 ICC members in the development programme. I hope we can use the ICC sponsorships and, in selling television rights, women’s cricket can be a part of it,” Timmer said. With a view to the merger, the ICC had already appointed a women’s project officer whose principal role is to integrate the bodies.