Thailand to host ICC Women’s T20 Qualifier

Monday, 1 June 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: Thailand will host the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier from November 28 to December 5 later this year. The top-two sides from the eight participating countries will meet reigning champion Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in the World T20 2016 in India.

Hosts Thailand will be joined by China, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Zimbabwe which all qualified for the tournament through regional tournaments. Bangladesh and Ireland will also have to go through qualification after finishing ninth and 10th in the previous World T20 held in Bangladesh.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups with the top two from each group moving to the trophy semi-finals. The teams contesting the trophy final will qualify for the World T20 2016. The 20 matches in the tournament will be equally shared between the Thailand Cricket Ground and the Asian Institute of Technology Ground in Bangkok.

“This event will provide an opportunity to the Cricket Association of Thailand to promote and market the game in its territory, an opportunity which will highlight the truly global appeal of the women’s game,” said Clare Connor, the ICC women’s committee chair and former England captain. “The regional qualifying tournaments, the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier and the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship are all testament to the fact that women’s cricket is thriving. With two ICC Women’s World Cups, two ICC World Twenty20s and two stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20s to take place over the next seven years, these are unprecedented times for women’s cricket in terms of volume of cricket and give us a wealth of fantastic opportunities to enhance the profile of our sport.” This is the second edition of the Women’s World T20 Qualifier, after the 2013 event in Dublin jointly won by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who qualified for the Women’s World T20 2014 along with Ireland.