The international cricket governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), is in a big shake-up, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geoff Allardice has stepped down. This big decision has come just before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is less than a month away to begin.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 was completely messed up by the ICC, which was hosted by the West Indies and the United States. Also, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 progression is far away from setting up a strong statement. According to media reports, the ICC is under pressure for poor handling of the recent global tournaments, which is huge for its stakeholders, including the broadcasters. 

In such a pressure moment, Geoff Allardice has stepped down from the CEO role of the ICC. The governing body has confirmed this news on Tuesday (January 28). After serving the role for eight months as an acting member, he was appointed to the role in November 2021. 

See Also: Jasprit Bumrah Honored as ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024

I am confident that cricket has exciting times ahead: Geoff Allardice

At his step down, Allardice said, "It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members.

"I'd like to thank the ICC Chair, the board of directors and entire cricket community for their support and collaboration over the past 13 years. I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges. I am confident that cricket has exciting times ahead, and I wish the ICC and the global cricket community every success in the future."

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is facing huge blocks

Pakistan has the hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where eight teams will participate, including the hosts Pakistan. Due to India's refusal to travel to Pakistan, they will play all their matches in the tournament in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will run between February 19 and March 9.

The fixtures of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 were continuously delayed, while Pakistan's stadiums for the tournament are still a work in progress. Although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has assured to provide the best arrangements for the tournament, including security, there are still some doubts about the completion of the remaining works before the beginning of the tournament. 

Cricket is set to make a comeback at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. It was last included in the Olympics back in 1900. The first-ever India House at the Paris Olympics will celebrate this milestone with a special panel discussion called ‘Cricket at the Olympics – Dawn of a New Era.’

Organized by Dream Sports, the event will take place on the evening of July 28 at India House, located at Parc de La Villette. India House, the country’s first official presence at the Olympics, was created by the Reliance Foundation in partnership with the Indian Olympic Association.

The vision for Cricket’s global growth and diversity

The panel will include Geoff Allardice, CEO of the International Cricket Council, cricket legend Rahul Dravid, and Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Dream Sports.

Geoff Allardice, CEO of the International Cricket Council, said, “We continue to focus on the development of cricket across the world, bringing in more fans to the game, opportunities for players to compete at the highest level and now taking cricket to the Olympic stakeholders. The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics marks an important step and we look forward to Paris 2024, as an added impetus to the journey.”

Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Dream Sports, said, “Dream Sports and Dream11’s mission is to ‘Make Sports Better’ by providing world-class fan engagement experiences. We are very excited to have the world’s second-largest spectator sport finally included in the next Olympics. This is sure to take the Olympics’ global viewership to an all-time high and encourage more countries to develop cricket programs, promoting the sport’s growth and diversity.”

Dream Sports role in enhancing cricket’s Olympic journey

Cricket and Dream11 have a close relationship, and having cricket in the 2028 Olympics is a big achievement. It will push more countries to start cricket programs, helping the sport grow and become more diverse.

The panel discussion will explore the inclusion of cricket in the LA 2028 Olympics, the growth and opportunities for cricket in both established and new markets, and the worldwide passion of cricket fans.