AHMEDABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has pushed back the window for the maiden Women’s Champions Trophy to be held in Sri Lanka from June-July to February in 2027.
The change in schedule for the eight-team tournament was approved at the ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad on Sunday, although no reason was given for the change.
The Women’s Champions Trophy, first proposed for 2022, will be played from February 14 to 28 in the T20 format, with New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Australia scheduled for February 27 to March 7.
As a result, Cricket Australia has been informed of the change and is considering its options, the International Cricket News website reported.
The apex body rebranded the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Cup as a 10-team event this year, with five full members and several associate nations selected based on rankings.
It is noteworthy that the first edition of the tournament, which was played last year and won by Thailand, featured only the top associate teams.
The ICC has approved the qualification route for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which Pakistan will host under the fusion formula, meaning India will play at a neutral venue, which is yet to be decided.
As per the qualification pathway, as on July 6, 2026, ten of the 12 teams will qualify automatically, including the top eight teams from the upcoming mega event in England and Wales, the host nation and the next highest ranked team in the Women’s T20I rankings.
The remaining two teams will be determined through regional qualifiers, followed by a 10-team global qualifier.