India, Australia among cricket teams to qualify for Birmingham Games 2022

The six qualifiers who join England in the eight-team Twenty20 competition are Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and a country from the West Indies. The eighth team will be decided through a Qualifying tournament.

India women's T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur (Centre) said that the team is raring to go after enjoying a good campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup last year. Australia women's team skipper Meg Lanning (Left) described it as "an incredible experience."

Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and a country from the West Indies joined England in qualifying for Birmingham 2022, the International Cricket Council and the Commonwealth Games Federation announced on Monday.

The six teams secured qualification as a result of their standings in the ICC women’s T20I team rankings on 1 April 2021.

Cricket is the first discipline to announce the qualifying teams for the Commonwealth Games which will be held in Birmingham from 28 July to 8 August next year.

The CWG will see women’s cricket making its entry for the first time. The men's teams participated in the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur.

As per the qualification process, the winner of a designated Qualifying event will determine which country from the Caribbean region gets to participate.

The last participating team will be decided through a Qualifying tournament to be held by 31 January 2022.

The iconic Edgbaston Stadium will host the Commonwealth Games cricket tournament with tickets set to go on sale later this year.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said: “It’s great to be confirmed a place in the Commonwealth Games. We are raring to go, confident of doing well after having made the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

“It is an awesome opportunity for both the women’s game and cricket to make a mark at the prestigious multi-discipline Games and we hope to return with loads of good memories.”

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Australia women's team skipper Meg Lanning said, "Representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games will be an incredible experience and the team can't wait to take the field in Birmingham next year."

ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice added: "We are incredibly proud and excited to be part of Birmingham 2022 and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow the women’s game globally.

CGF President Louise Martin said, "Cricket is a sport that is synonymous with the Commonwealth and we are so excited to have it back in the Games for the first time since the men’s competition at Kuala Lumpur 1998."

“The debut of women’s T20 cricket will be a historic moment for Commonwealth Sport and a wonderful showcase for women’s sport across the world," she said.