The International Cricket Council has entered into a partnership with UNICEF to empower women and girls and promote inclusion and gender equality through cricket.

The partnership will be activated in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia where all 16 nations will hold ‘Cricket 4 Good Coaching Clinics’ with up to 40 school children taking part in each one.

The players will introduce the children to ‘Criiio 4 Good’, a cricket development curriculum as the participants will also learn more about gender equity and get to meet their cricketing heroes.

“I am so proud, as the dad of a daughter, to BeAChampion for girls and support the partnership between the ICC and UNICEF to promote gender equity through cricket,” Aussie captain Aaron Finch said.

The programme will be available free on the ICC and UNICEF websites, delivering an eight-week lesson plan on the fundamentals of batting, bowling and fielding.

Each lesson plan has a life-skill module attached to teach participants core life skills that will promote greater gender equity. These skills include leadership, problem-solving, self-esteem, negotiation, empathy, decision-making, teamwork and goal-setting, the ICC stated.

The partnership will continue throughout the ICC events till the men’s ODI World Cup in India in October-November 2023.

“Harnessing the power of cricket to build a better future is a central part of our global growth strategy. So, I am delighted to be continuing our partnership with UNICEF to empower women and girls through cricket,” Geoff Allardice, ICC CEO said.

“The Criiio 4 Good programme is a wonderful tool for anyone around the world to use to get young girls and boys active having fun with a bat and ball and also learning vital life skills that will help shape a more gender equal world in the future.”