FILE PHOTO: The International Cricket Council (ICC) logo at the ICC headquarters in Dubai, October 31, 2010. REUTERS/Nikhil Monteiro/File photo

(Reuters) - USA Cricket has launched its first strategic plan here outlining initiatives to be launched until the end of 2023 with the target of becoming a full member of the International Cricket Council by 2030.

The USA Cricket Foundational Plan identifies five objectives - growing engagement, increasing participation levels, improving the performance of its national teams, operating sustainably and building trust across the local cricket community.

It also plans to launch a domestic T20 professional league - Major League Cricket - by 2022 and develop at least two more ICC one-day international accredited venues by next year. Currently, the country has one such facility in Florida.

“The launch of this Foundational Plan is the culmination of a lengthy but important piece of work which now sets the roadmap for the development of the sport in the United States over the next few years,” USA Cricket Chairman Paraag Marathe said.

“Many of the underlying initiatives that have been identified still need to be developed and that reflects USA Cricket’s embryonic stage of development.

“We’ve been encouraged by the great progress we’ve been able to make across a number of different areas despite the obvious challenges of these times and we anticipate that our growth will accelerate now that the organizational direction has been very clearly set.”

Historical records as early as 1709 have chronicled the existence of cricket in America. By the mid-1800s, around 1,000 clubs in 22 states were playing the game.

Source: Reuters

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