ICC launches Level 3 coaching program to boost global high-performance standards

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially introduced its Level 3 Coaching Course — designed to support elite-level coaching and strengthen high-performance environments across the cricketing world — marking a significant milestone in its global coach education framework.

Launched in 2021, the ICC’s Training and Education platform has seen widespread adoption, with 30,503 course completions from 173 countries.

A significant portion of that progress came in 2024 alone, which accounted for 12,769 certifications—42% of the total — signaling the sport’s expanding global reach.

To make the training more accessible and locally relevant, ICC courses are now available in 14 languages and are conducted by local experts.

In 2024, the organization also rolled out new Level 2 Coaching and Level 1 Umpiring courses.

Among the most popular offerings to date are the ICC Umpiring Foundation course (4,599 completions), Coaching Foundation Certificate (4,263 completions), and the Pitch Curator Foundation course (437 completions).

The ICC has also made strides in inclusivity, with 41 certified Master Coach Educators and 17 Master Umpire Educators, 41% of whom are women.

Although women currently make up 16% of all participants, the ICC is aiming for 50% female participation in line with its broader equity and representation goals.

The Level 3 Coaching Course is positioned as a cornerstone of the program, focusing on building cohesive team cultures, personalized player development, and the creation of high-performance environments.

So far, 15 master educators have been trained to deliver the Level 3 curriculum, with the inaugural course held in Bhutan this April and the next session planned for Bahrain in May.

ICC General Manager – Development, William Glenwright, said, “The ICC Training and Education program continues to grow from strength to strength, providing a world-class education experience to coaches, umpires, and pitch curators all around the world.”

“We’re delighted to launch the ICC Level 3 Coaching Course, and in doing so, the ICC now offers a coaching and education experience at all levels of the game—from fun, first experiences and entry-level cricketers, right through to elite international cricket on the world stage,” Glenwright added.

“The delivery of courses under the ICC Training and Education Programme is supported by a global network of Master Educators and Tutors, ensuring all Members have access to a trained workforce that puts them in complete control of when and how often they deliver these education courses in local languages,” said Glenwright.

ICC Hall of Fame inductee and Master Educator Cathryn Fitzpatrick emphasized the importance of local development, saying, “The better we are at developing the local coaches so that players can have a familiar language interpreting the information we have to give them, the better chance we’ll have at growing the game globally.”

“Most female cricketers playing for their country may have never been coached by a female, so it’s really important that they can see and start developing confidence and trust that females are good enough to do it, and there’s a pathway as well, which helps them see that there’s an opportunity for coaching at the end of their playing careers,” Fitzpatrick added.

Sonya Thompson, Cricket Australia’s Head of National Development, also praised the program’s inclusive design.

“We’ve had such a beautifully diverse group of people come together (for the course). We really wanted to make sure that we’re developing the program with an emphasis on creating space for the coaches to learn from one another and understand the complexity of dealing with all the various cultures that they will be working with,” said Thompson.

“I love the ICC’s ambition of being able to support local delivery, which will mean that recipients will be able to understand the local context and support coaches with the things that they need to work on in their environments,” Thompson added.

With additional courses planned for 2025, the ICC continues to invest in developing coaching, umpiring, and curatorial expertise to shape the next generation of cricket leadership around the world.