Dubai [UAE], February 22 (ANI): The International Cricket Council has confirmed that Doha, Qatar, will host the next round of ICC Board and Committee meetings from March 25-27.

The meetings will bring together ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee Members and senior leadership as part of the organisation's ongoing governance calendar, providing an important opportunity to deliberate over key matters about the present and future of the global game, as per a press release from ICC.

The decision to stage the meetings in Doha reflects the ICC's growing engagement with cricket in Qatar and the country's wider sporting ecosystem. The ICC's support of and collaboration with the Qatar Cricket Association and Olympic Committee have fuelled remarkable progress for the sport in recent years.

Since 2020, overall participation in cricket in Qatar has grown by an impressive 447%, driven largely by initiatives aimed at introducing the sport to new and younger audiences. Central to this growth has been cricket's inclusion in the Qatar Olympic Committee's School Olympic Programme, which has helped embed the game within schools across the country. More recently, the launch of ICC's Criiio Cricket Festivals has further expanded cricket's reach, with 287 school teams taking part in the previous edition and nearly 90% of participants experiencing cricket for the first time.

The ICC sees this sustained progress as a strong example of how strategic partnerships and grassroots investment can accelerate the growth of the game in emerging markets, while also aligning with cricket's growing global significance.

Hosting the ICC's Board and Committee meetings in Doha underlines Qatar's increasing role within the international cricket community and provides a valuable opportunity to further strengthen the collaboration between the ICC, the Qatar Cricket Association and key national sporting stakeholders. (ANI)