ICC launches ‘criiio day’ to celebrate one million grassroots cricket participants

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the launch of ‘criiio Day’, an annual global celebration of grassroots cricket, on November 1, marking the programme’s milestone of reaching one million participants worldwide since its inception in 2021.

The criiio programme aims to introduce cricket to new audiences through a free and adaptable curriculum available in 18 languages. Built around the principle of ‘anytime, anywhere, by anyone’, it seeks to make the sport accessible to people across different communities and regions.

The millionth participant in the programme is 13-year-old Saidat Hamzat from Nigeria’s Lagos State, who was initially unfamiliar with cricket before being introduced to the game through a criiio Festival organised at her school.

“Cricket has given me purpose, discipline and joy; it has changed my life,” Saidat said.

Her mother also acknowledged the positive impact of the sport on her daughter, saying, “We see a happier daughter now, and that came from criiio. One day, I hope to see her in a Nigeria jersey.”

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the programme had made a significant impact in its five years of existence and highlighted its potential to expand cricket’s global reach.

“We are proud of the impact that criiio has had in just five years. It is a truly transformative programme, demonstrating the power of ‘play’ to unite communities and change lives while keeping fun and discovery at its core,” Gupta said.

He added that the achievement of reaching one million participants reflected the collective efforts of ICC members, partners and other stakeholders.

With cricket set to return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, Gupta said the programme offered an opportunity to introduce the sport to millions of people worldwide, particularly children.

The initiative has reached more than 65 ICC Associate Members, while all 12 Full Members have certified criiio trainers. It has also recorded an equal gender split, with women and girls accounting for 50 per cent of its one million participants.

Africa has emerged as the leading continent for the programme, with more than 400,000 participants. Brazil leads among individual countries with nearly 200,000 participants, while Bhutan has crossed the 100,000 mark.

The programme has also been adapted to local requirements in several countries. In Tanzania, it has been introduced as the Swahili-language ‘Chanzo Cricket’, with the government making cricket a priority sport across 3,542 secondary schools.

In Japan, sessions have been conducted on padel courts beneath Tokyo Skytree, while the initiative has also reached remote parts of Mongolia and supported migrant children in Chile.

The programme has also helped nurture emerging international players. Argentina’s Luna Olivera, who joined through a community initiative in 2023, was selected for the country’s Women’s U19 team in 2026. Nigeria’s Chisom Mary Okpe, introduced to cricket through a school session in 2025, has progressed to the country’s U19 team.

The inaugural criiio Day will be marked through a global digital campaign, with ICC members encouraged to share their stories on social media using the hashtag #criiioDay.

The date, November 1 (1.11), also represents the three ‘i’s in the programme’s branding, which symbolise the stumps and bails of a cricket wicket.