On Monday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the Women’s T20 World Cup will expand to 16 teams in 2030. The ICC also formally notified USA Cricket and Cricket Chile.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, previously known as the ICC Women’s World Twenty20, is the biennial international tournament for women’s Twenty20 cricket. Organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the inaugural event took place in England in 2009.
ICC board approves expansion to 16 teams in Women’s T20 World Cup
In a statement, the ICC board confirmed its approval on increasing the number of teams in the Women’s T20 World Cup. “The ICC Board has approved the increase to 16 teams for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2030, reflecting our ongoing commitment to gender equity in cricket,” stated the ICC in its announcement.
In the inaugural 2009 tournament, eight teams competed, with England claiming the title. The number of teams increased to ten and will rise to 12 for the 2026 edition, set to be held in England, and will expand to 16 in 2030. The ICC also announced that the qualification deadline for the 2026 tournament will be October 31 of this year.
Review of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024? What else happened at the ICC board conference 2024
In the statement, the ICC also announced that USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have been officially put on notice. They have 12 months to rectify their non-compliance with ICC Membership Criteria, due to deficiencies in their governance and administrative structures and systems.
The ICC Board also announced that a review of the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be conducted by directors Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja, who will report their findings to the board later this year. Additionally, at the ICC Annual Conference, the CEC approved Paul Reiffel’s appointment as an Elite Panel Umpire on the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee. The CEC also confirmed Richie Richardson as an Elite Panel Referee on the Committee.
The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) also announced the allocation of eight regional qualifying spots for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Under the new structure, two teams will qualify from Africa and Europe, one from the Americas, and three from a combined Asia and East Asia-Pacific (EAP) regional final. Previously, Asia had two spots and EAP had one.
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