England women have been granted a spot at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, after the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the qualification process.

Lisa Keightley’s side will be joined by the six other highest ranked ICC Members in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, with the remaining place allocated to the winner of a qualifier.

The eight-team competition will be the first time women’s cricket has been played at the games, and only the second time that cricket will feature after a men’s competition in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

England captain Heather Knight reacting to the news on twitter – @birminghamcg22

CGF President Dame Louise Martin said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have women’s T20 cricket debut at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“The unveiling of the qualification criteria today is an exciting and important milestone as we head towards what will be a spectacular competition at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium.”

CGF President Dame Louise Martin

ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney spoke about how this will help to expand the women’s game.

“Cricket at the Commonwealth Games is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow the women’s game globally.

“We are committed to accelerating this growth and maintaining the momentum we have created over the past few years, which most recently saw 86,174 fans packed into the MCG for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.”

ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney

The Birmingham Games are scheduled to take place between July 28 and August 8 2022, and will be broadcast live on the BBC.

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