Almeria, Apr 3 (IANS): The Desert Springs Cricket Ground, part of a luxury resort located in the Andalusia region of Spain, has been awarded venue accreditation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host official One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) matches.

The venue opened in 2018 with an eighteen-wicket square and has a marquee pavilion apart from the usual requirements at cricket ground like sightscreens, scoreboard and associated facilities, according to a report in Cricket World. It is open all year round.

"In recent years, Cricket España and Desert Springs Resort have worked closely together to develop and grow the game domestically in Spain, and on the international stage. Everything a cricket team requires is provided for at Desert Springs world-class facilities," said John Howden, the chief executive officer and general secretary of Cricket Espana, the governing body of cricket in Spain.

There are no ICC accredited venues in Europe other than those in England, Ireland which are the Test nations as well as in Scotland and Holland, who have ODI and T20I status.

This is likely to boost cricket in Spain as well as in neighbouring nations like Portugal.