DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC- The ICC Board has approved the introduction of an International Women’s Championship.
This bi-lateral competition involving the top eight ranked women’s teams will determinequalification for the next Women’s World Cup.
Competing countries will include Australia,West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and Pakistan with promotion and relegation at the end of the first cycle.
“This is a very positive step for the profile and competitiveness of women’s cricket,” said ICC Chief Executive David Richardson.
“It guarantees a more regular and balanced programme of meaningful ODI cricket for a broader group of nations than ever before”.
Each team will play the others in a series of matches between mid-2014 and the end of 2016, with the top teams qualifying automatically for the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2017.
The bottom countries at the end of the International Women’s Championship will be joined by a number of teams from the ICC’s regional qualification structures to play in an ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier which will determine the final Women’s World Cup participants.
“The ICC Women’s World Cup last year set a new benchmark in terms of quality andpublic interest and with this added context the pathway to the 2017 event in England looks really exciting.” Said Richardson.
