India have been grouped with world champions Australia, Pakistan and Barbados for women’s T20 cricket at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.
The women’s cricket T20 competition will be held at the Edgbaston Stadium from the 29 July, with the bronze and gold medal matches taking place on 7 August. The first match on the schedule will see Australia take on India in the early session, with Pakistan playing Barbados, who were recently confirmed as the team from the West Indies that will take part in the Commonwealth Games, the organisers said in a statement.
Women’s cricket will be a part of the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever, and it will only be the second time that cricket will feature in it after a men’s competition was part of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
The ICC had said earlier that since athletes from the Caribbean will be representing their countries and not the West Indies (as they are affiliated with the ICC), the winner of a designated qualifying tournament will decide which country gets to compete if the West Indies get a slot.
Other highlights on the schedule include India against Pakistan on July 31. Australia will also take on Pakistan on August 3.
Hosts England will be in action for the first time on July 30, when they will take on the winner of a qualifying tournament which is due to take place at the start of 2022.
They will then play South Africa in the early session on August 2, followed by a third match against New Zealand in the evening session on August 4.
Seven out of eight qualifiers for the T20 competition were announced back in April with the final team set to be finalised at the end of January 2022.
ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “We have seen tremendous growth of the women’s game over the past few years and the Commonwealth Games will undoubtedly be another major moment on that journey.
“Today’s announcement of the match schedule gives fans lots to look forward to, not least with the opening game between ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 finalists Australia and India and we know that Edgbaston will provide a great stage for the competition.”
With PTI inputs
