International Cricket Council has become the first sports’ governing body to announce the qualification schedule and process for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and a country from the West Indies join England in qualifiers – to be held from July 28 to August 8 this year.
Cricket will be making its entry in the multisport event in Birmingham next year. The CWG had hosted cricket for the only time at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games. The men’s event then was won by South Africa.
The ICC and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) made the announcement today (Monday) as women’s cricket features in the Games for the first time in 22 editions.
The six qualifiers who join home team England in the eight-team T20 competition are Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and a country from the West Indies. They have secured qualification as a result of their standings in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings on 1 April 2021, ICC stated in a Press release.
The winner of a designated Qualifying event will determine which country from the Caribbean region gets to participate as athletes will be representing their individual countries and not the West Indies as they would at ICC events or international cricket.
The last participating team will be decided through a Qualifying tournament to be held by 31 January 2022, details of which will be announced in due course.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete across 11 spectacular days of sport. Birmingham 2022 will be the first major multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men.
The Commonwealth Games cricket tournament will take place at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium, with tickets set to go on sale later this year.
ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said, “We are incredibly proud and excited to be part of Birmingham 2022 and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow the women’s game globally.
“We are committed to maintaining the momentum that saw 86,174 fans packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup last year and Birmingham 2022 gives us another global stage on which to showcase the women’s game.
“On behalf of the ICC and its Members, I thank the Commonwealth Games Federation for their support and look forward to seeing some superb cricket at Edgbaston.”
Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin: “It is an exciting milestone to be announcing the first teams to qualify for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Cricket is a sport that is synonymous with the Commonwealth and we are so excited to have it back in the Games for the first time since the men’s competition at Kuala Lumpur 1998.
“The debut of women’s T20 cricket will be a historic moment for Commonwealth Sport and a wonderful showcase for women’s sport across the world. Congratulations to the teams that have now booked their spot to compete at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium for what I am certain will be an unforgettable tournament.”
