NEW DELHI, July 8: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will pump in around $300 million to develop the game worldwide, the governing body announced on Tuesday.

Haroon Lorgat, Chief Executive Officer ICC, described the initiative as “the biggest investment in global development by any sport outside football”.

The ICC pledged around $40 million a year for seven years from 2009 to help its 94 associate and affiliate members, placed below the 10 Test-playing teams.

“We want to see results that challenge world cricket’s existing order,” South African Lorgat, who took charge at the weekend, said.

“We want to develop better players and structures on and off the field, giving everyone the chance to be the best they can be.”

Currently, associates get only rare opportunities to rub shoulders with the elite, mainly at the one-day World Cup.

Lorgat further said that the initiative was possible because of ICC’s lucrative commercial deals, particularly the media rights deal signed with ESPN STAR Sports in December 2006 which is reported to be worth around $1 billion.—Reuters