ICC launches annual global celebration of grassroots cricket on November 1

Dubai, Oct 30 (PTI) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday launched 'criiio Day', an annual global celebration of grassroots cricket on November 1, to mark the occasion of the programme reaching one million players worldwide.

    Since its inception in 2021, the programme has helped take the game of cricket to different corners of the world.

    Designed to introduce the sport to new audiences through a free, adaptable curriculum available in 18 languages, criiio is the ICC's entry-level, globally accessible cricket programme.

    It is built around the principle that cricket can be played ‘anytime, anywhere, by anyone’, an ICC release said.

    Since 2021, criiio has helped grow the sport by uniting the international cricket community, with the global movement having reached its one millionth player, Saidat Hamzat.

    Thirteen-year-old Saidat, who hails from Lagos State, Nigeria, was initially confused about cricket. However, that changed when a criiio festival arrived at her school.

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

    “It makes me happy, and now I speak up more. My friends notice me and, at school, I’m the cricket-mad girl!”

    The programme has reached different corners of the world, with 65 ICC Associate Members delivering national programmes and each of the ICC's 12 Full Members having certified criiio trainers, while its accessibility has created a 50:50 gender split among the 1,000,000 global participants.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)