On Monday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to cancel the suspension of Zimbabwe and Nepal as its members following the conclusion of the Board meetings in Dubai. Zimbabwe and Nepal had received suspensions in July this year following government interference in the running of the Board.

Describing the same, the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said, “I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Sports Minister for her commitment to the reinstatement of Zimbabwe Cricket. Her desire to work in support of Zimbabwe Cricket was clear and she has unconditionally complied with the conditions set down by the ICC Board. Funding to Zimbabwe Cricket will continue to be on a controlled basis as part of a collective effort behind getting the game in Zimbabwe back on an even keel.”

ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly Thanked Anurag Thakur And Shared New BCCI Team

Zimbabwe will now be able to take up their place in the ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup in January and the ICC Super League which will be played later in 2020. Nepal has also regained its status on a conditional basis following its 2016 suspension for breach of the ICC regulations which prohibit government interference and require free and fair elections.

Talking about it further, the ICC chairman said, “Given the progress made in Nepal, a transition plan will now be developed for the Cricket Association of Nepal to support full compliance with Associate Membership criteria, which will also involve controlled funding.”

ICC has also decided to increase the prize money for ICC women’s events by USD 2.6 million. The decision has been taken following the increase in the revenue generated by the sport. For the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia next year, the winners and runners up will now receive USD 1 million and USD 500,000 respectively — five times the amount received by the winners in 2018.

ALSO READ: Irfan Pathan To Do South Indian Film Alongside Chiyaan Vikram

There will also be a substantial increase in the money available for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 with the prize pot increasing to USD 3.5m from USD 2m in 2017. ICC also approved the establishment of a U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup with the first edition expected to be played in Bangladesh in 2021 and every edition will be played in a two-year gap. 

Describing the same, ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said, “We want to build a long-term sustainable foundation for women’s cricket and that is about more than just prize money. Creating a Women’s U19 event also improves the pathway available to young cricketers and ensures they have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. This significant increase in prize money and the introduction of a Women’s U19 event is part of a much larger effort to grow the women’s game around the world.”