The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was first hosted in England in 1973. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a contest for Twenty20 international cricket.

The International Cricket Council now organizes the World Cup (ICC). It was overseen by the International Women’s Cricket Council until 2005 when the two groups amalgamated (IWCC). The first women’s World Cup was in 1973, two years before the first men’s. Early financing issues forced numerous teams to refuse invitations, causing up to six-year gaps between tournaments. Since 2005, World Cups have been held every four years.

The ICC Women’s Championship qualifies for the World Cup. There have been no new teams added to the World Cup since 1997, and the number of teams has been maintained at eight since 2000. The ICC announced in March 2021 that the event will grow to 10 teams starting in 2029. Eleven teams competed in the 1997 edition, the most ever in a single event.

The eleven World Cups played thus far have been hosted by five countries, including India and England three times. Australia has the most championships with seven and has only missed the final three times. All other teams have lost in the final, save England (four times) and New Zealand (one).

History

In 1934, an English team traveled to Australia and New Zealand to play women’s international cricket. English triumphed in the first-ever Test series during the weekend of December 28–31, 1934. Later that year, a series of tests with New Zealand got underway. These three countries were the only ones to compete in Test matches until South Africa’s series against England in 1960. In 1962, England’s first-class cricket was introduced. The first international one-day cricket match was played between England and Australia in 2002.

In 1971, Jack Hayward began discussing the possibility of a women’s cricket World Cup.

Apartheid-era regulations prevented the participation of South Africa.

Additionally, Australia and New Zealand were asked to participate in the event. An earlier England women’s trip to the West Indies brought in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, which Hayward organized. There were also “Young England” and an “International XI” squads to fill up the gaps. The International XI invited five South Africans as compensation for not being accepted, but these invitations were later canceled.

After a two-year delay, England hosted the inaugural women’s Cricket World Cup in June and July 1973.

England faced Australia in the final after a round-robin competition. With four wins and a forfeit, Australia had a one-point lead at the top of the rankings. England earned four victories but lost to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup tournament. It was therefore a de facto final, as a result. In Edgbaston, Birmingham, England triumphed by a score of 92 runs.

ICC Women’s Championship

The Women’s Cricket World Cup qualification is decided by the ICC Women’s Championship. The top eight teams in the ICC Women’s Ranking were represented in the first two events. It was from April 2014 to November 2016 that the 2014–16 ICC Women’s Championship was held. Australia was the victor in the inaugural competition. The second edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup began in October 2017 and the top four teams qualified for the event in 2021.

It was announced in September 2018 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it will be extended to all ten teams, including Bangladesh and Ireland.

This year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier competition will determine the next IWC cycle’s top three teams.

READ MORE: Spin Bowlers: What Is Spinning, and Who Are the Top Ten Players of All Time?

After the discovery of the novel COVID-19 strain in Southern Africa, the qualification event was canceled. Ireland and Sri Lanka have been accepted for the ICC Women’s Championship 2022–25 based on their ODI rankings.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

The World Twenty20 women’s cricket tournament takes place every two years. The event is organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and it was first held in England in 2009. Eight people competed in the first three tournaments; ten people competed in the 2014 event. The remaining teams will be determined through the World Twenty20 Qualifier. With five victories under its belt, Australia is the most decorated national team.

Qualification

The ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier and the ICC Women’s Twenty20 international rankings are used to decide to qualify. The top six teams in the ICC Women’s Twenty20 International rankings at the time of the draw were designated six teams until 2014.

READ MORE: USC Football Championship: Who Is the Best USC Football Player?

when a qualification process replaced the top six teams. In the 2014 event, the top eight teams in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings qualified for the tournament, with the host country and three qualifiers also included. The top eight teams in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, together with the host country and two qualifiers, were selected for the event in 2016 and 2017.

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 schedule revealed

Tauranga’s Bay Oval will host the tournament’s opening match on March 4, 2022, when New Zealand will take on the West Indies as the tournament hosts.

Two major rivalries will be on display in the opening round of games, with Australia taking on England on March 5 at Hamilton’s Seddon Park and India taking on Pakistan the following day in Tauranga.

The eight teams will compete for the World Cup trophy in a total of 31 games over the course of 31 days. The tournament will be held in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Wellington.

The top four teams from the ICC Women’s Championship 2017-20, including Australia, England, South Africa, and India, all qualified for the tournament, but New Zealand was ineligible due to their role as hosts.

To qualify for the World Cup, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and West Indies finished in the top three in ODI Team Rankings following the cancellation of 2021’s Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier due to Covid-related doubts.

Each of the eight teams will meet each other once in the league format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals at the conclusion.

READ MORE: Olympic Games History: Who and Why Did the Olympics Begin?

At Wellington’s The Basin Reserve on March 30, the first semi-final will be played, while at Christchurch’s The Hagley Oval on March 31, the second semi-final and the championship game will be played (3 April). Reserve days will be set aside for both semi-finals and finals.

The tournament will also be the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic that the women’s world event will take place. After the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in March 2020, which Australia won by beating India in the final, there would be no further global women’s tournaments.