Cricket in Brazil started in the mid-1800s, when British residents living in Rio de Janeiro formed a smattering of cricket clubs in the carnival city. Although, regular cricket matches were played between the clubs during that time, participation was restricted to those of British heritage and consequently, the native population took very little interest in the game.

In 1888, a Brazilian international team comprised fully of British expats played its inaugural cricket match with cross-border rivals Argentina. In 1897, a brand-new cricket ground was constructed by the Rio Cricket & Athletic Association in Niteroi. The Brazil Cricket Association (BCA) was formed in 1922, with R.A Brooking as the first President. The formation of the new association helped the game to garner some momentum, but unfortunately it was short lived. The combined effects of World War II and the Great Depression, as well as the steady decline of the British population through the 20th century saw cricket slowly wither away from Brazil, with the notable exception of São Paulo. It remained the epicentre of cricket until 1989, when the formation of Brasilia Cricket Club ensured that cricket finally spread outside its São Paulo confines. Since the 2000s, there was a gradual uptick in cricket activity again, aided by the efforts of the British & Asian expatriate community. To keep pace with this resurgence in the sport, the Associação Brasileira de Cricket was formed in 2001 and Brazil became an ICC Affiliate Member in 2003.

Interestingly, Brazil had also witnessed the parallel development of a street bat-and-ball game, which was directly influenced by cricket. After observing British railway workers playing cricket in the 1900s, some local Brazilian workers were inspired to devise their own unique version of the sport nicknamed Taco. Games were played 2-a-side with a bowler & wicket keeper against two batters. As Taco was never formalised into an official sport, it had remained a street pastime for children. However, in a strange twist of fate, it is now providing much of the talent base for cricket, especially for the women’s team.

In recent times, the all-homegrown women’s team has made fantastic progress and its growth is outstripping that of the men’s. Since 2015, they have won the South American Cricket Championships four times and cricket participation has skyrocketed from 7,515 players in 2015 to 48,541 in 2018, an increase of 646%. On January 9, 2020, in a landmark moment for the sport, Associação Brasileira de Cricket announced the offering of 14 professional contracts to representatives in their women’s national team.