The ICC, originally known as the Imperial Cricket Conference, was founded on June 15, 1909, with England, Australia, and South Africa as its first members. Its purpose was to unify cricket rules across member countries. Over time, it became the ICC and expanded, now having 108 members: 12 full members and 96 associates.
List of Test-Playing Nations
Full members, or Test-playing nations, are countries eligible to play official Test matches, the most traditional format of cricket. They also have voting rights in ICC meetings where key decisions are made regarding cricket’s governance and rules. Additionally, full members automatically qualify for ODIs and T20Is, giving them frequent chances to compete in international tournaments.
Here is a list of the current full members:
Sr. No.
Team
Full Member Since
Test Status Since
Governing Body
1
Zimbabwe
6 July 1992
18 October 1992
Zimbabwe Cricket
2
West Indies
31 May 1926
10 January 1930
Cricket West Indies
3
Sri Lanka
21 July 1981
17 February 1982
Sri Lanka Cricket
4
South Africa
15 June 1909
12 March 1889
Cricket South Africa
5
Pakistan
28 July 1952
16 October 1952
Pakistan Cricket Board
6
New Zealand
31 May 1926
10 January 1930
New Zealand Cricket
7
Ireland
22 June 2017
11 May 2018
Cricket Ireland
8
India
31 May 1926
25 June 1932
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
9
England
15 June 1909
15 March 1877
England and Wales Cricket Board
10
Bangladesh
26 June 2000
10 November 2000
Bangladesh Cricket Board
11
Australia
15 June 1909
15 March 1877
Cricket Australia
12
Afghanistan
22 June 2017
14 June 2018
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Associate Members
Associate members are nations where cricket is well-established but they do not meet the criteria to become full members. While they don’t have voting rights or the ability to play Test matches, they still participate in other international events like ODIs and T20Is.
The following section highlights a few Test-playing nations:
Afghanistan: Achieved full membership in 2017 after becoming an ICC affiliate in 2001. They played their first Test match in 2018.
Bangladesh: Gained full membership in 2000 and played their first Test match the same year.
Sri Lanka: Joined as a full member in 1981, and have since won the ICC World Cup in 1996 and the T20 World Cup in 2014.
New Zealand: Became a full member in 1926, with their first Test win coming in 1956.
West Indies: One of the founding members of the ICC, they dominated world cricket from the 1970s to the early 1990s.
Full members continue to shape international cricket, while associate members strive to reach that level, actively participating in global competitions.
