Entry of these two teams. (Photo- Francois Nel -CC/ICC Via Getty Images)
After the annual meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) held in Singapore on 20 July 2025, a historic news came out for the cricket world. The ICC has included 2 new teams as Associate Members. With this decision, the total number of members of ICC has now increased to 110. This step is an important initiative to make cricket more popular at global level and promote its development in new areas.
Entry of these two teams
Timor and Jambia have become new members of the ICC, the board announced it by releasing the press. The Timor-Laste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union have been formally included as associate members of the ICC. The ICC said, “Two new members have joined the ICC family, causing the total number of members to 110, in which Timor-Lasti Cricket Federation and Zambia Cricket Union have formally became ICC Associate members.”
Let me tell you, Jambia has become the 22nd African country to join the ICC. On the other hand, Timor-Lest is now the 10th colleague member of the East Asia Pacific region, and is the first country after the Philippines joined in 2003 22 years ago. Cricket has started in Timor-least in recent years, and this game is becoming increasingly popular among the youth there. In such a situation, now Timor-Last will get a chance to play in the big international tournament.
Zambia returns
The return to the ICC of the Jambia Cricket Union is an inspirational story. Jambia received the Associate Membership of the ICC in 2003, but in 2019 its membership was canceled due to governance and compliance issues. In 2021, Zambia was expelled from the ICC, but now four years later, Zambia has again achieved Associate Membership by removing its administrative and organizational deficiencies. This is a new beginning in the field of cricket for Zambia.
