Netherlands, Scotland, USA, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand’s statuses have been upgraded. ICC has granted ODI status to these 5 Associate Women’s teams as a part of the revamped ICC WC pathway. The teams’ performances in ODIs will affect their rankings and they will get to play the World Cup Qualifiers. In addition, the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 was also announced by the apex body. The ICC women’s Championship will kickstart on June 1 with Sri Lanka taking on hosts Pakistan in 3-match ODI series. This time the IWC will feature 10 teams with the inclusion of Bangladesh and Ireland. Moreover, the 2 teams will get a direct pathway for qualification to WC 2025.
Thailand Women’s team has been performing exceptionally well in the past years. In addition, they qualified for the T20 WC 2020. Their inclusion will increase competitiveness. Moreover, other teams will get to play more as well. All cricketing boards associated have welcomed the decision as it is essential for the development of Women’s cricket. Earlier, Australia Women lifted their 5th ICC World Cup trophy.
ICC grants ODI status to 5 Associate Women’s teams
“Awarding ODI status to five additional teams will help us to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. More teams playing more regularly creates a more competitive environment as we saw at the recent ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Good luck to the Netherlands, PNG, Scotland, Thailand, and the USA on what I hope will be a great opportunity to develop in 50-over cricket in their countries.“
Geoff Allardice, ICC CEO
