The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the international

governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial

Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from
England, Australia and South Africa, all white countries
renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and
took up its current name in 1989 and new rules adopted to
permit the election of countries from outside the
Commonwealth.
The ICC has 106 members: 10 Full Members that play
official Test matches, 37 Associate Members, and 59
Affiliate Members. West Indies, New Zealand and India
were elected as Full Members in 1926, doubling the number
of Test-playing nations to six.
The overall Development Program is managed by the Global
Development Manager, Mr. Matthew Kennedy, who is
based at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. The international
game grew with several affiliate nations getting involved
and, in the closing years of the 20th century, three of those
became Test nations also: Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and
Bangladesh.
The first ever international cricket game was between the
USA and Canada in 1844. The match was played at the
grounds of the St Georges Cricket Club in New York.
The ICC is responsible for the organization and governance
of crickets major international tournaments, most notably
the Cricket World Cup. It also appoints the umpires and
referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches, One
Day International and Twenty20 Internationals. It
promulgates the ICC Code of Conduct, which sets
professional standards of discipline for international
cricket, and also co-ordinates action against corruption and
match-fixing through its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit
(ACSU).
The acting ICC President is Ray Mali following the death of
Percy Sonn on May 27, 2007, after complications from
recent surgery .The current CEO is Malcolm Speed. It was
announced on June 27, 2007, that David Morgan the
chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, would
fill the role of ICC President from 2008, until 2010, when
he will be replaced by Sharad Pawar, the current president
of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The ICC also has a Code of Conduct to which teams and
players in international matches are required to adhere.
Where breaches of this code occur the ICC can apply
sanctions, usually fines. In 2006 the ICC imposed 27
penalties on players.
The ICC Mission:
As the international governing body for cricket, the International Cricket Council
will lead by:
Promoting and protecting the game, and its unique spirit
Delivering outstanding, memorable events
Providing excellent service to Members and stakeholders
Optimizing its commercial rights and properties for the benefit of
its Members
Vision of Success
As a leading global sport cricket will captivate and inspire
people of every age, gender, background and ability while
building bridges between continents, countries and
communities.
Strategic Direction
A bigger, better, global game targeting more players, more
fans, more competitive teams.
Our long-term success will be judged on growth in
participation and public interest and the competitiveness of
teams participating in mens and womens international
cricket.
Values
Openness, honesty and integrity
Excellence
Accountability and responsibility
Commitment to the game
Respect for our diversity
Fairness and equity
Working as a team
The ICC appoints international umpires and referees,
sponsored by Emirates Airline, who officiate at all
sanctioned Test matches, One-Day Internationals and
Twenty20 Internationals. The ICC operates 3 panels of
umpires: namely the Elite Panel, the International Panel,
and the Associates and Affiliates Panel.
Prior to the 2007 Cricket World Cup ICC Chief Executive
Malcolm Speed warned against any corruption and said that
the ICC would be vigilant and intolerant against it.