Hosts England will be joined by Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa in an eight-team T20 tournament; a country from the West Indies will also compete, alongside another nation to be determined by a qualifying event to be held by January 31 2022.
Monday 26 April 2021 12:46, UK
The ICC has confirmed details of the format and initial qualifiers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Hosts England will be joined by Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa in an eight-team T20 tournament, which will take place at Edgbaston between July 28 and August 8 2022.
A country from the West Indies will also compete, alongside another nation to be determined by a qualifying event to be held by January 31 2022.
It will be only the second time cricket has featured at the Games after South Africa's victory in a One-Day International tournament in 1998, and the first time women's cricket has been part of it.
The Birmingham event will see 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete across 11 days of sport and will be the first major multi-sport event to award more medals to women than men.
On the announcement, England captain Heather Knight said: "We're really excited about hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and it offers a big opportunity for women's cricket, both in England and Wales and around the world.
"With direct entry into the competition confirmed, we're one step closer to being on the pitch in Birmingham, and the prospect of potentially winning a medal is something that will be at the back of our minds across the next 12 months.
"It's going to be a fantastic competition, a real chance to showcase the women's game to a huge audience and it's one we're thrilled to be taking part in."
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur added: "It is an awesome opportunity for both the women's game and cricket to make a mark at the prestigious multi-discipline Games and we hope to return with loads of good memories."
