International Cricket Council / Internal Complaints Committee

ICC Full Form in English, letter by letter

ICC is the International Cricket Council, the world governing body of cricket, and also the Internal Complaints Committee at workplaces.

ICC Full Form in Indian Languages

ICC is the world governing body of cricket, and its name is translated in Hindi and Marathi while other languages mostly keep the English words.

The body behind the World Cup trophy

ICC stands for International Cricket Council. It is the global governing body of cricket, and it is the organisation behind the Men's and Women's ODI World Cups, the T20 World Cups, the World Test Championship and the Champions Trophy.

When you see an ICC ranking, an ICC trophy ceremony or an ICC ban on a player, this is the body being talked about. It also appoints the umpires and referees for international matches in its major events.

The ICC owns the commercial rights to its events, so broadcasters and sponsors pay it, and a share of that income is distributed to member boards. This is why revenue sharing is a regular topic between the BCCI and the ICC.

From a meeting at Lord's to a Dubai office

The ICC began on 15 June 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, set up by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa at Lord's. It became the International Cricket Conference in 1965 and took its present name, International Cricket Council, in 1989.

Today its headquarters are in Dubai, though it is legally registered in the British Virgin Islands. It has grown from three founding members to more than a hundred, and only a small group of full members can play Test cricket. The exact numbers change, so check the official ICC site for the current list.

The ICC also decides which countries host its flagship events, a bidding process that can take several years. Pakistan, India, Australia and England have all hosted major tournaments, and recently events have been shared between countries when security or politics made one host difficult. Look at the ICC website for the host cities for the next edition, and for the qualification rules that decide which teams play.

What the ICC does not control

This surprises many fans. The ICC does not make the laws of cricket. Those have been looked after by the Marylebone Cricket Club since 1788. It also does not arrange bilateral series, so an India versus England Test series is organised by the two boards, such as the BCCI and the ECB.

Domestic cricket in each country, including the Ranji Trophy, is also outside its control. What the ICC does handle are the big multi-team events, the code of conduct, and its Anti-Corruption Unit, which looks into match-fixing.

Rankings, rules and discipline

The ICC publishes the official team and player rankings for Tests, ODIs and T20Is, calculated from match results using its own rating formula. Those rankings decide seedings and sometimes qualification for its tournaments.

It also sets the playing conditions for its own events, such as the use of the Decision Review System and the over-rate rules, and it hears appeals under its Code of Conduct. Fines, match bans and demerit points for slow over rates or dissent come from this system.

If you want the current rules, read the ICC's playing conditions on its official site, because they are revised from time to time.

Women's cricket has its own rankings, and the ICC decides the qualification pathway for its women's and under-19 World Cups, which is why you will see qualifier rounds before the main tournament.

When ICC has nothing to do with cricket

At a workplace or college, ICC usually means Internal Complaints Committee. This is the panel every covered organisation must set up to hear sexual harassment complaints under the POSH Act of 2013. If your HR mail mentions the ICC, this is what they mean. You can read more at POSH.

In news about international law, ICC often means the International Criminal Court, which sits in The Hague. In trade and business, it can mean the International Chamber of Commerce. The setting of your search will tell you which one fits.

The Internal Complaints Committee has a presiding officer who is a senior woman employee, at least two employee members and one outside member from an NGO or a person familiar with the issues. Organisations with ten or more employees must form it, and it should give a timeline for inquiry and report. Employees who do not know their ICC members should ask the HR department.

For quiz purposes, remember the name changes: Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909, International Cricket Conference in 1965, and International Cricket Council from 1989.

ICC Full Form: Common Questions