Although, cricket was almost certainly played in Oman during its time as a British protectorate, Oman Cricket was formally established in 1979 by the Khimji family under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Abbas Bin Faisal.

For the two decades, cricket flourished domestically amongst amongst the burgeoning South Asian migrant population and oil industry expat populations, and the-then Oman Cricket Club (OCC) obtained ICC Affiliate Membership at the turn of the new century.

After a forgettable men’s international debut at the 2002 ACC Trophy (Singapore), in which they won a solitary game against Kuwait, Oman bounced back to reach the finals of the 2004 ACC Trophy and become the first Affiliate member to participate in an ICC Trophy (2005).

The last decade has seen Oman Cricket go from strength to strength, both on and off the field. The team was a fixture in the World Cricket League (WCL) from 2011 onwards, and although they were relegated to Division 5 in 2016, they have only climbed the rungs of the WCL since then. 2019 brought ODI Status, and a place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 until 2022.

Oman also qualified for the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, securing a famous victory against Ireland in the first round, but missing out on the Super 10 on net run rate. Oman Cricket opened the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in 2012, a state of the art turf wicket facility, which also serves as the home base for Oman’s national teams and the Oman Cricket Academy. Oman Cricket was also awarded ICC Associate Membership in 2014.

Under the patronage of the Sultanate and the tutelage of the pioneering Khimji family, Oman Cricket is in strong shape. The men’s national high performance set up and domestic leagues are the strongest they have ever been. Women’s cricket remains an area for improvement, as does spreading the game outside Muscat and amongst the Arab population.