ICC Player Protection Programme Sees Surge in Sign-Ups
More than 100 women cricketers have enrolled in the International Cricket Council’s Player Protection Programme, an initiative designed to shield athletes from online abuse. The programme, run in partnership with AI-powered moderation platform Freedom2hear, has removed nearly 60,000 pieces of harmful content during the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
According to an ICC release, over 50 new sign-ups were recorded at the start of the tournament. The service also provides additional protection across official ICC social media accounts. Seven of the 12 teams competing in the tournament are protected, along with umpires and broadcasters.
AI Tool Scans Thousands of Comments
After the first week of the T20 World Cup, the AI tool reviewed nearly 250,000 comments and removed almost 60,000 harmful pieces of content. More than 2,000 repeat offenders had temporary restrictions placed on their interactions, and 370 users were blocked entirely.
Players Speak Out on Toxicity
Indian left-arm spinner Radha Yadav cited the growing toxicity of social media as her reason for joining. “Social media can be such an amazing resource for me to interact with friends, family and fans all over the world, but it's also become an increasingly toxic space, especially for female athletes,” Yadav said. “It's important to talk about this openly and find solutions to the problem, which is why I signed up for the ICC Player Protection Programme.”
England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones noted that the programme has helped her deal with abuse. “It is something that we sadly have to deal with as international athletes in the public eye, and it can have a negative effect on you when you are simply trying to play the game to the best of your ability,” she said. “We have a great relationship with the vast majority of our fans, and we love interacting with them in person and on social media... But the downside is that there are people who choose to abuse you instead... And for the ICC to be fully supportive in providing this kind of service is fantastic. It is a programme that puts our wellbeing at the forefront, and that is a good thing.”
Programme Part of Wider Wellbeing Approach
First introduced ahead of the 2024 women’s T20 World Cup, the programme is a key component of the ICC’s wider approach to player wellbeing and safeguarding. It has been operated across all ICC events since then, helping participants engage confidently with fans while reducing exposure to harmful online content.
Scotland’s Sarah Bryce, who signed up in 2024, said the programme has “made a massive difference.” “It's nice having that peace of mind because a lot of the players, the young players in particular, use social media a lot,” Bryce added.
