International Cricket Council (ICC) and Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) came together on November 18 to initiate the process for the qualification of Women’s cricket teams for the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Birmingham is set to host XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022. Earlier this year, CGF announced Cricket as one of the sport to be played at the 2022 CWG and said, “Cricket will be an eight-team women’s T20 affair to be played at the famous Edgbaston Stadium in England.”
The Qualification for the Cricket teams for the 2022 CWG is straightforward. The hosts England will qualify straightaway while six other highest-ranked ICC Members in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings as of 1 April 2021 will qualify directly for the eight-team tournament. For the eighth spot, ICC has planned a Commonwealth Games qualifier. The details of qualifier are yet be announced but the deadline for the event is 31 January 2022.
As explained in ICC’s press release, West Indies Women’s Cricket team will not be a part of Birmingham CWG. The athletes for the Caribbean can still be a part of the event (if West Indies finishes in the top-six race). The winners of the 2021 Blaze domestic competition will take the spot of the West Indies Women’s team.
The Birmingham event is Cricket’s comeback in the Commonwealth setup. Cricket last featured in Commonwealth Games 22 years ago in Kuala Lumpur. Women’s cricket will feature in next event, but it remains to be seen whether men’s game will return to commonwealth games.