Women’s T20 Gets Standalone Tournament

16 Oct 2016 | tshego

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the World Twenty20 (T20) will feature a standalone women’s event in 2020.

Australia will host the event after the ICC approved a bid by Cricket Australia to separate the men’s and women’s tournaments when the country hosts the event.

The events will be held six months apart, with all five previous women’s World T20s being held in parallel with the men’s events and semi-finals and finals played as double headers.

In 2020 the women’s tournament will run in February and March 2020 and the men will compete for the world title in October and November. There is already a standalone women’s event scheduled for 2018 in the West Indies, with the ICC yet to confirm a host for the men’s tournament in 2018.

Cricket Australia chairman, David Peever said: “Women’s cricket is undoubtedly gaining in popularity around the globe and we felt that by separating the two events we could accelerate that growth.

“Having the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 as a standalone event means we can hold it in stadiums that we can fill, put on TV at prime-time and ensure it has the space to be promoted as the main event, away from the shadow of the men’s game.

“WBBL has taught us that there is an audience for women’s cricket both live and on prime-time television and this decision means we have the opportunity to hold the biggest women’s sporting event ever held in Australia.