Emirates Cricket Board Wins Three Honours at ICC Development Awards 2025

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the global winners of the ICC Development Awards 2025, recognising outstanding programmes and initiatives that have contributed to the growth of cricket worldwide. The awards were presented during the ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, which concluded last weekend.

This year's awards honoured excellence across seven categories covering grassroots development, women's cricket, team performances, digital engagement and social impact. Winners were selected from regional nominees announced in June.

Emirates Cricket Board Bags Three Global Awards

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) enjoyed a landmark evening after claiming three prestigious awards in recognition of its outstanding contribution to cricket development during 2025.

The Board won the Marriott Bonvoy ICC Development Initiative of the Year for launching the region's first Girls U15 Academy League. The initiative was recognised for creating new opportunities for young girls to participate in competitive cricket while promoting inclusion and wider access to the sport.

For the second consecutive year, the Emirates ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year award was jointly presented to two countries, with the Emirates Cricket Board sharing the honour alongside Türkiye Cricket.

In the UAE, the legacy of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 inspired nationwide programmes, including the Interschool criiio Gulf Cup and the Emirates Cricket Board's Get into Cricket – Girls Only initiative. These programmes expanded cricket opportunities for girls across schools and communities throughout the country.

The Emirates Cricket Board also received the ICC Associate Member Women's Team Performance of the Year award after the UAE Women's team produced a historic performance against Zimbabwe. Competing in their first-ever ODI series following the acquisition of One-Day International status, the UAE secured a 2-2 draw before winning the subsequent T20I series 2-0 to register their maiden series victory over a higher-ranked Full Member nation on foreign soil.

ECB Reaffirms Commitment to Women's Cricket

"These awards are a massive encouragement for the Emirates Cricket Board management, officials, players and support staff. We want to thank the International Cricket Council for creating this opportunity and recognition for Associate Members who overcome big challenges to deliver such initiatives."

"The recognition that our women's team has rightly earned has warmed our hearts and given us incredible motivation for the sustained growth and development of women's cricket in the country."

"Thousands of girls are now playing cricket, which means that we have a solid foundation to work on for the years ahead. We are committed to providing them every opportunity and support that they require from us," said ECB Board Member Zayed Abbas.

Abbas added that the Emirates Cricket Board intends to invest further in development programmes while preparing the national women's team for the ACC Women's Asia Cup 2026 and future ICC Women's T20 and ODI World Cup qualification events.

Complete Winners of the ICC Development Awards 2025

The ICC Development Awards continue to celebrate innovative programmes that strengthen cricket globally by expanding participation, improving performance pathways and creating greater opportunities across Associate Member nations.

(Inputs from Press Release)