ICC reveals plans for expansion of women's competitions

A new Women’s T20 Champions Cup will also be introduced in 2027, which will be played in 2027 and 2031, both non-World Cup years

Plans for the expansion of the two major global competitions in women’s cricket have been revealed by the ICC.

From 2026 onwards, 12 teams will compete in the T20 World Cup, with 10 matches added to the current 23-game format. After 2022, there are further editions scheduled for this decade in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030.

In 2029, the 50-over World Cup will feature 10 countries and 48 matches, in line with the men’s event. The 2025 tournament, however, will continue as an eight-nation affair.

A new Women’s T20 Champions Cup will also be introduced in 2027, before being played four years later in 2031, both non-World Cup years.

ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said: “We have a clear focus and commitment to an ambitious long-term growth plan for the women’s game. We have been building momentum around the women’s game for the last four years investing in global broadcast coverage and marketing to drive fan engagement.

“The results speak for themselves with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 attracting record numbers, 1.1 billion video views, making it the most watched women’s cricket event of all time and having 86,174 fans attending the final at the MCG, a record attendance for a women’s cricket event.

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“This decision to expand our women’s events builds on these foundations and allows us to give more member countries greater opportunities to compete on a global stage.

“This means that more teams will also get the opportunity to compete in the qualification pathways for the respective ICC events over the coming years. I am sure these initiatives will go a long way in helping us achieve our strategic goal of continuing to build strength and depth in the women’s game.”

The news was announced on International Women’s Day, the anniversary of last year’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG, played out in front of 86,174 spectators and coming only a matter of days before the global game came to a halt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Several high-profile figures have spoken out in the last year about their fears for the future on an international scale, with not all national boards displaying the same commitment and proactivity to the women’s game.

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