With Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) already refusing to send their women's team to India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a hybrid model for the upcoming 50-over World Cup. India and Sri Lanka will host the World Cup, with five venues set to stage the tournament, beginning on September 30 and running until November 2.
The venues for the tournament are M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru), ACA Stadium (Guwahati), Holkar Stadium (Indore), ACA-VDCA Stadium (Visakhapatnam), and R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo). Meanwhile, PCB's refusal to send their national teams to India stems from BCCI not sending its side to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Pakistan will also play all their matches in Colombo.
Key dates for ICC Women's World Cup. | (Credits: Screengrab)
The first semi-final will either be hosted by Guwahati or Colombo on October 29, while the second semi-final will take place on October 30 in Bengaluru. The final will take place on November 2 in Colombo or Bengaluru.
The eight teams participating are India, Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Australia are the defending champions, having beaten England in the 2022 edition.
"Women’s cricket stands at the forefront of our vision" - Jay Shah
ICC Chairman Jay Shah underlined that he expects the preparations in the venues to begin soon to provide the fans with an exciting spectacle. Jay Shah stated, as quoted by the ICC:
"Fans have shown great support for the women’s game in recent years, and I am sure they will start planning for these showpiece events now that they have key dates and venues. Women’s cricket stands at the forefront of our vision, and we are confident that these two upcoming tournaments will not only sustain the incredible momentum we've built in recent years but lift it to greater heights."
