FILE PHOTO: The 2028 T20 World Cup will feature 12 teams, with 10 sides earning automatic qualification and two qualifying from the 10-team global qualifier. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Women’s cricket received a significant boost at the ICC Board meeting, with the governing body unveiling a series of measures aimed at strengthening the international calendar and creating more opportunities for emerging teams.

Among the key decisions was a change to the scheduling of the Women’s Champions Trophy 2027. Originally slated for June and July, the tournament will now be held from February 14 to 28, 2027, giving teams a more favourable window in the international calendar and helping avoid potential clashes with other major events.

In another notable move, the ICC confirmed the launch of the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy. The tournament, which will be piloted as a 10-team competition this year, is designed to bridge the gap between established powers and developing cricket nations.

Five full-member teams and five associate member sides will participate in the inaugural edition, with qualification determined through rankings and performances in previous Women’s T20 World Cup qualifying events. The initiative is expected to provide much-needed international exposure to emerging teams and strengthen the women’s cricket pathway beyond the traditional elite nations.

The Board also finalised the qualification structure for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028, which will be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board. As per the hybrid model already agreed upon between India and Pakistan for ICC events, matches involving India will be played at a neutral venue.

The 2028 tournament will feature 12 teams, with 10 sides earning automatic qualification. These will include the top eight teams from the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, the host nation if it has not already qualified, and the next highest-ranked teams in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings as of July 6 this year.

The remaining two spots will be decided through a 10-team Global Qualifier, which will be supported by regional qualification tournaments. The allocation of places across regions is expected to be finalised at the ICC’s next round of meetings in July.

Collectively, the decisions reflect the ICC’s growing focus on expanding the game through stronger pathways and greater opportunities. Alongside reforms in the women’s structure, the governing body also approved plans to establish a Global Qualifier for future Men’s T20 World Cups.

According to the statement issued by the Board, a detailed qualification model for a 16-team event will now be developed and presented at the next round of ICC meetings, underlining the governing body’s efforts to create a more inclusive and competitive global cricket ecosystem.

Published on Jun 01, 2026