The 12 ICC Full Member Nations: A Guide to Test Cricket Teams

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has more than 100 member countries, but only twelve of them are Full Members. Full Members play Test cricket, have a vote on the ICC board and receive a larger share of the ICC's income. Here is who they are and how they got there.

Full Members and Associate Members

The ICC was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, with England, Australia and South Africa as its members. Today it is based in Dubai. Its members are in two groups:

• Full Members – twelve nations that play Test matches as well as one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20 internationals.
• Associate Members – all other cricket-playing countries, such as the Netherlands, Scotland, Nepal, the UAE, Oman, Namibia and the USA. Since 2018–19, T20 matches between all ICC members have full international status.

The twelve Full Members and their first Test

Team	First Test
England	1877
Australia	1877
South Africa	1889
West Indies	1928
New Zealand	1930
India	1932
Pakistan	1952
Sri Lanka	1982
Zimbabwe	1992
Bangladesh	2000
Ireland	2018
Afghanistan	2018

The very first Test match was played between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1877. Australia won by 45 runs.

A short look at each team

• England and Australia play the oldest rivalry in cricket, the Ashes.
• South Africa were out of international cricket from 1970 to 1991 and returned as a strong all-round team.
• West Indies is a team of several Caribbean countries; it dominated world cricket in the late 1970s and 1980s.
• New Zealand won the first ICC World Test Championship final in 2021.
• India is the game's largest market and home of the Indian Premier League.
• Pakistan is famous for its fast bowlers and won the 1992 World Cup. See Pakistan cricket's greatest moments.
• Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996, only 14 years after its first Test.
• Zimbabwe became a Test nation in 1992 and has produced players such as Andy Flower.
• Bangladesh joined in 2000 and is very hard to beat at home.
• Ireland and Afghanistan were both made Full Members in June 2017 and played their first Tests in 2018. Afghanistan's rise, from refugee camps to Test cricket, is one of the sport's great stories.

How does a team become a Full Member?

There is no automatic promotion. An Associate Member applies, and the ICC board looks at its performance on the field, the strength of its domestic cricket, its facilities and how well the national board is run. The Full Members then vote on the application.

Why it matters for fans

Full Members play more matches against the best teams, which means more chances to see top players and more fixtures in previews on our news section. Associate teams, meanwhile, get their big chances at T20 and ODI World Cup qualifiers and at the World Cups themselves.

The three international formats

• Test matches last up to five days, and each team can bat twice. Only Full Members play Tests.
• One-day internationals (ODIs) have 50 overs per side. Full Members play them, along with the Associate teams that earn ODI status through qualifying events.
• T20 internationals (T20Is) have 20 overs per side and are open to every ICC member.

The World Test Championship

Since 2019, Test series between the leading teams count towards the ICC World Test Championship. Teams earn points for wins and draws, the table is decided by the percentage of points won, and the top two teams meet in a final.

Final	Winner	Runner-up	Venue
2021	New Zealand	India	Southampton
2023	Australia	India	The Oval, London
2025	South Africa	Australia	Lord's, London

Associate teams to watch

Associate teams cannot play Tests, but they have produced some of the biggest surprises in recent years. The Netherlands beat South Africa at both the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the USA beat Pakistan in a super over at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Scotland, Nepal, Namibia, Oman and the UAE are also regular names in World Cup qualifiers.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries play Test cricket?

Twelve: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Which teams became Full Members most recently?

Ireland and Afghanistan, both in June 2017. They played their first Tests in 2018.

Is the Netherlands a Test-playing nation?

No. The Netherlands is an Associate Member, so it plays ODIs and T20Is but not Tests.

Where is the ICC based?

The International Cricket Council has its headquarters in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.