As the International Cricket Council (ICC) continues to crack down on online abuse, stars of the 2026 ICC T20 Womenโs Cricket World Cup have highlighted the importance of creating a safer online space for athletes.
So far, over 100 women cricketers have signed up to the ICC Player Protection Programme, which is run in partnership with Freedom2hear (formerly GoBubble) and works with international cricketers to silence trolls on social media platforms.
More than 50 new users have registered ahead of the ICC Womenโs T20 World Cup in 2026, and the service provides additional security for official ICC social media accounts. Seven of the 12 teams participating in the 2026 ICC Womenโs T20 World Cup are under protection, with umpires and broadcasters also registered.
After the first week of the 2026 ICC T20 Womenโs World Cup, the tool reviewed nearly 250,000 comments and removed nearly 60,000 malicious pieces of content. More than 2,000 repeat offenders were subject to temporary restrictions on interaction, and 370 users were blocked.
One of these players is protected England wicketkeeper and batter Amy Joneswho said: โI signed up to the ICC and Freedom2hear service to help with some of the toxicity that social media creates for women in elite sport.
โItโs something that we unfortunately have to deal with as international athletes in the public eye and it can have a negative impact on you when youโre just trying to play the game to the best of your ability.
โWe have a great relationship with the vast majority of our fans and we love connecting with them in person and on social media where we can show them what itโs like to do what we do. But the downside is that there are people who choose to insult you instead, so itโs great that there are companies trying to clean up the mess and offer us some protection.
โAnd itโs fantastic that the ICC is fully behind providing this kind of service. Itโs a program that puts our well-being at the forefront, and thatโs a good thing.โ
Indian Radha Yadav also highlighted the growing toxicity of social media as a reason for joining the program.
โSocial media can be a wonderful resource for me to connect with friends, family and fans around the world, but it has also become an increasingly toxic space, especially for female athletes,โ she said. Yadav.
โItโs important to talk about it openly and find solutions to the problem, which is why I signed up for the ICC Player Protection Scheme.โ
The programme, first introduced ahead of the 2024 ICC Womenโs T20 World Cup, is a key component of the ICCโs wider approach to player welfare and protection.
The program has since been rolled out across all ICC events, helping participants confidently engage with fans while reducing exposure to harmful online content.
Sarah Bryce (Scotland) was one of the first to introduce the program in 2024 and says the ICC Player Protection Program has โmade a huge differenceโ.
โItโs nice to have that peace of mind because a lot of players, especially young players, use social media a lot,โ said Bryce.
โItโs important that we find ways to make social media as safe as possible, especially for younger people who are probably more active on social media and probably more susceptible to comments. So I think itโs extremely important and itโs great that the ICC is involved and giving all players the opportunity to have that protection.โ
The non-intrusive technology allows players to customize their own settings when combined with Freedom2hear, and players can join the program at any time through remote registration during the 2026 ICC Womenโs T20 World Cup.