ICC Chair Jay Shah Reaffirms Commitment to Expanding Cricket Across Africa

Jan 2026 : International Cricket Council (ICC) Chair Jay Shah on Tuesday met senior leaders of the Africa Cricket Association in Windhoek, reiterating the ICC’s strong commitment to growing and strengthening the game of cricket across the African continent. The meeting focused on infrastructure development, talent identification, and long-term strategies to ensure sustainable growth of the sport in the region.

Sharing his experience on social media platform X, Jay Shah described the engagement as a “productive day,” highlighting discussions aimed at expanding opportunities for African nations in global cricket. He also expressed his enthusiasm after witnessing young talent in action during an ICC Under-19 World Cup match held at Cricket Namibia’s newly developed Namibia Cricket Ground (NCG).

“A productive day in Windhoek meeting with cricket leaders from the Africa Cricket Association as @ICC looks to grow and support the sport across the continent. I also enjoyed seeing future stars of the game at the #U19worldcup match at @CricketNamibia1’s terrific new NCG venue,” Shah wrote.

Namibia is co-hosting the ongoing ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup alongside Zimbabwe, marking a significant milestone for African cricket. Under the hosting arrangement, both nations are staging 12 group-stage matches each. In Namibia, matches are being played at the state-of-the-art Namibia Cricket Ground and the HP Oval in Windhoek, while Zimbabwe is hosting games at Queens Sports Club, Harare Sports Club, and Takashinga Sports Club in Harare.

The successful hosting of the Under-19 World Cup further underlines Namibia’s growing stature as an emerging cricketing nation. The country has steadily built its credentials through consistent performances and by hosting major ICC events. In August and September last year, Windhoek hosted the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, where eight African nations competed for two places in the Global Qualifier, reflecting the expanding footprint of women’s cricket in the region.

Namibia’s rise was further highlighted last year when its national men’s team hosted South Africa for a historic one-off T20 International. The match was notable on several counts—it marked the inauguration of the Namibia Cricket Ground, was Namibia’s first-ever international encounter against South Africa, and concluded with a memorable four-wicket victory for the hosts.

The FNB NCG has since become a landmark venue, hosting matches in the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and earning the distinction of being selected as a host venue for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This will be the first time Namibia hosts matches in cricket’s premier global event, a testament to the ICC’s broader vision of taking the game to new frontiers across Africa.