NOB-Bharat news: The ICC Board meeting approved several key decisions. The board members discussed and passed resolutions on issues such as further expanding cricket worldwide, increasing the importance of women’s cricket, and formulating strong plans for the long term development of the sport. The decisions taken in this meeting will have a significant impact on the future of cricket. The ICC has revealed that the Women’s ODI World Cup held in 2025 received an unprecedented response. Nearly 3 lakh people watched the tournament in stadiums. This is an all-time record in the history of women’s cricket. The tournament has also created new records on television and digital media. The ICC has claimed that around 500 million people watched these matches in India alone. In this context, the board has decided to organize the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup with 10 teams instead of the current 8. The ICC’s efforts to strengthen cricket’s presence on international sports platforms have borne fruit. The board has confirmed the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles Olympics to be held in 2028. These Olympics will be held in the T20 format in both men’s and women’s categories. Six teams will participate in each category. Along with this, cricket will also be a part of the 2026 Asian Games (Japan), 2027 African Games (Egypt) and 2027 Pan Am Games (Peru). New members were appointed to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee in this meeting. Indian women’s cricket legend Mithali Raj and current Indian women’s team coach Amol Muzumdar have been given a place in this committee. Along with them, celebrities like Ashley de Silva, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella were also appointed as members. The ICC Board also decided to increase the funds provided to them by about 10 percent from 2026 to boost the development of cricket in associate countries. Digital experiences and video gaming rights were also discussed in the meeting.