Associate Member Cricket: The Nations Outside the Test Elite
Alongside the 12 Full Member nations that play Test cricket, the ICC has over 90 Associate and Affiliate Members playing international cricket at various levels. This article explains what Associate Member status means, which countries are Associate Members, how they qualify for major ICC events, and the development pathway from Associate status to Full Member status.
What Associate Membership Means
The ICC has two tiers of membership below Full Member (Test-playing) status: Associate Members and Affiliate Members. Associate Members play ODI cricket and may have T20I status; they are eligible for ICC qualifying events; and they can participate in ICC World Cup qualifying tournaments. Affiliate Members are at an earlier stage of development — they are ICC members but may not yet have ODI or T20I status. As of the early 2020s, there are approximately 40-50 Associate Members with ODI or T20I status, and the remaining affiliates at various levels of development. Countries with notable Associate or recently Full Member status include Ireland, Afghanistan (both promoted to Full Member/Test status), Scotland, Netherlands, Nepal, Namibia, Oman, UAE, and Papua New Guinea.
Qualifying for Major ICC Events
Associate Members qualify for major ICC events (T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup) through regional qualification tournaments. The ICC divides the world into regions (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, East Asia-Pacific) with each region running qualification events. The top performers from regional qualifying advance to global qualifying tournaments, with the best teams earning automatic berths in the main event. The T20 World Cup has expanded to include 20 teams from the 2021 cycle, including 4-6 Associate-nation qualifiers. The ODI World Cup remains primarily a 10-team event with limited Associate participation (usually 2 Associate teams qualifying through the World Cup Qualifier). The path from regional qualifier to World Cup is long and difficult — typically 3-4 qualification stages over 2 years.
The Path to Full Member Status
Full Member (Test) status is granted by the ICC when a country's cricket infrastructure and team quality reach the required standard. Key criteria for Full Member consideration: a domestic cricket structure (leagues, academies, ground facilities); sustained competitive performance at Associate level; government recognition and institutional stability; financial capacity to host international cricket; and a cricket-following public large enough to sustain the sport commercially. Ireland and Afghanistan were the most recent nations to receive Full Member and Test status (both in 2017), after decades of sustained development at Associate level. The pathway typically takes 10-20 years from serious cricketing development to Test recognition.
Frequently asked questions
Do Associate Member players earn as much as Full Member international players?
No — the financial gap between Full Member and Associate Member international cricket is significant. Full Member international players (India, England, Australia) earn salaries through board contracts that can range from USD 100,000 to several million dollars annually. Associate Member international players typically receive match fees rather than annual contracts, and these fees are much lower — often in the range of USD 1,000-5,000 per match depending on the country's financial resources. Some Associate Member players supplement their cricket income by playing in domestic T20 leagues (the IPL, PSL, Big Bash) where they may earn substantial match fees — a pathway that has become increasingly common for players from countries like Afghanistan, Ireland, Namibia, and Scotland.
Can an Associate Member player play for a Full Member country?
Yes, under ICC eligibility rules — but only if they meet the residency or birth criteria. A player born in an Associate Member country may be eligible to play for a Full Member country if they have lived there for 3+ years (the ICC's standard residency rule). Players born in Ireland who emigrated to England and lived there for 3 years can play for England. Players born in South Africa who emigrate and become permanent residents in another country can eventually represent that country. This creates both opportunities (Associate players developing their careers in Full Member systems) and controversies (high-profile 'Kolpak' agreements in county cricket, where South African players registered as EU citizens to play county cricket without using overseas player slots).
Which Associate Members are currently closest to achieving Full Member status?
Assessing proximity to Full Member status requires evaluating ICC guidelines which can evolve. Historically, countries considered strong candidates for eventual Full Member consideration have included Scotland (strong European cricket infrastructure, competitive performances), Netherlands (solid infrastructure, European base), Nepal (rapid cricket development, passionate cricket culture), and PNG (East Asia-Pacific representative with growing infrastructure). However, ICC Full Member promotion is rare and criteria are not precisely defined — the decisions are partly administrative, partly political within the ICC structure, and partly based on demonstrated sustained performance. Checking the most current ICC governance documents and Associate rankings provides the most accurate picture of current Full Member candidacy.