MCC throw support behind women’s cricket at 2022 CWG

BENGALURU: The prospect of women’s cricket featuring at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 has been unanimously backed by the MCC World Cricket Committee during their annual meeting in Bengaluru.

The notion, which was backed by the ICC during last year’s Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean, would bring the sport back to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 1998, when South Africa’s men’s team won the gold medal, beating Australia in the final in Kuala Lumpur.

Suzie Bates, the former New Zealand women’s captain who has been a member of the MCC World Cricket committee since 2017, said: “Having Women’s T20 at Birmingham 2022 would be a game-changer.

“Multi-sport events like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics attract and inspire a different audience, so it’s an enormous opportunity for women’s cricket to win new fans.”The bid, which was made by the ICC in partnership with the ECB, would involve Edgbaston as the competition’s primary venue, with other Midlands county grounds, including Worcestershire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire under consideration to host group-stage matches.

A final decision is expected from the Commonwealth Games Federation by September 2019.The top eight T20 teams would be eligible for qualification, although as was the case in 1998, the islands of the Caribbean would be likely to compete as individual nations.

Shane Warne, who is attending his first committee meeting after being elected last year, said: “It’s a hugely exciting time for women’s cricket after two great World Cups in two years and it’s up to the cricket world and Commonwealth Games Federation to build on that momentum and bring cricket into multi-sport games.”