Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on Thursday nominated the inclusion of women's cricket in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The decision which needs to be ratified by CGF members follows a comprehensive bidding process, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) presented the compelling case for women's cricket to become part of the Commonwealth Games programme.
The application for inclusion of women's cricket for the 2022 tournament is part of the global ambition for cricket to inspire and empower women and girls around the world. It also aims to drive greater levels of inclusivity and opportunity throughout the sport.
ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney in a statement said, "We are absolutely delighted that women's cricket has been nominated for inclusion in Birmingham 2022. I'd like to thank everyone at the CGF and Birmingham 2022 for the nomination and it would be a real honour to become part of the Commonwealth Games family."
"We are committed to accelerating the growth of the women's game and breaking down barriers and gender stereotypes along the way. We share our ambition to deliver greater equality, fairness and opportunity in sport with the Commonwealth Games Federation. The platform of Birmingham 2022 will provide a springboard for women's cricket and will inspire and engage young girls around the world to be part of this wonderful and inclusive sport," Sawhney said.
Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said, "The inclusion of women's cricket in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games would be a landmark moment in the development of the sport."
"It would present us with a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on the global reach of these Games to showcase the very best of women's cricket and in doing so inspire a new generation of women and girls from around the world to start playing the game. We are extremely grateful to the teams at Birmingham 2022 and CGF for providing us with this opportunity and for sharing our vision for the future of women's cricket," Harrison added.
( With inputs from ANI )
