Following a joint bid by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today announced that Women’s T20 Cricket will be part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
This exciting announcement comes after the 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) voted by the required majority to accept the proposal from Birmingham 2022 to add three new sports to its existing programme – Women’s T20 Cricket, Beach Volleyball and Para Table Tennis.
This has contributed to Birmingham 2022 having the biggest female and para sports programme in Commonwealth Games history. It will also mark the first time ever that a major multi-sport event has featured more women’s than men’s medal events.
The Games will take place from 27 July to 7 August 2022 and fans can expect to see eight women’s cricket teams competing at Birmingham’s iconic Edgbaston Stadium. 120 cricketers (15 players per squad) will compete across eight match days as cricket returns to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 1998, when South Africa won Gold in a men's 50-over competition in Kuala Lumpur.
Today’s announcement confirms that there will be 4,500 athletes competing at Birmingham 2022 across 19 sports.
Commenting on the announcement, Clare Connor, ECB Managing Director of Women’s Cricket, said: “We are incredibly excited that Women’s T20 Cricket will be included in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It’s an honour for cricket to be involved in an event that is committed to championing female and para sport.
“Cricket’s inclusion offers a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on the global reach of the Games to showcase the very best of women’s cricket and to inspire a new generation of women and girls to start playing the game.
“We are really pleased that the teams at Birmingham 2022 and the Commonwealth Games Federation share our belief in the power of cricket to connect communities, inspire and engage people across the world.”
Also commenting, England Women’s all-rounder Nat Sciver said: “It’s massively exciting for women’s cricket to get an opportunity like this at Birmingham 2022. We are always looking to grow cricket and to take it to as many people as possible and the platform of Birmingham 2022 will really help that.
“England Netball winning the gold in Australia was inspirational and we hope during our own Commonwealth Games journey, we can also inspire and encourage more girls to get involved in cricket.
“We’ve obviously been lucky enough to lift a World Cup on home soil, and as a kid that was something we’d all always dreamt of. The Commonwealth Games is different of course, but the idea of becoming a medallist on home soil is hugely exciting and hopefully we can work towards that.”
CGF President, Dame Louise Martin said: “Today is an historic day for the Commonwealth Games and I am delighted that we can now confirm Birmingham 2022 will have the largest ever female and para-sport programme in history.
“I would like to congratulate and formally welcome Women’s T20 Cricket, Beach Volleyball and Para Table Tennis to the official sports programme for Birmingham 2022 and I know they will all help enhance what will be a spectacular and vibrant multi-sport event.
“I would also like to thank our Commonwealth Games Associations for recognising the benefit that these three exciting sports will add to Birmingham 2022 and voting to include them to the sports programme.
“We are passionate advocates of women’s sport and para-sport so I am thrilled we are able to make this special announcement today.”