Cricket is a sport with a history that goes back hundreds of years. It was first documented in the south of England during the 16th century and grew considerably in popularity over the coming years. Cricket had become the national sport of England by the end of the 18th century and with the expansion of the British Empire, it began to become popular in many countries around the world.
The international governing body of cricket is The International Cricket Council (ICC), which is based in Dubai. The International Cricket Council has 104 member nations, which are categorised as Full Members, Associate Members and Affiliate Members. Full Members are the only teams that play official Test matches. The ICC is responsible for organizing major international tournaments, such as the Cricket World Cup, the ICC World Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.
Cricket fans are more than willing to travel around the globe to watch their team play, and with international matches regularly being held in countries such as Australia, India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies; it is easy to see why. Tropical countries are an obvious draw and many spectator's book flights and hotels well in advance. For some it is a trip of a lifetime, and with a travel industry catering for such needs, all-inclusive cricket packages are big business nowadays.
Famous cricket venues from around the globe include Lord's, Edgbaston, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Newlands and the Kensington Oval.
