The next global event on the International Cricket Council (ICC) calendar is the Women’s T20 World Cup that’ll be held early next year in South Africa from the 9th to the 26th of February. The mega ICC event is set to see 10 nations be involved, direct qualifications will be for hosts South Africa and the top 7 teams on the ICC T20I rankings as of 30 November 2021 among the teams that took part in Australia held T20 World Cup in 2020.
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) are set to be hosting the global qualifier for the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup from the 18th of September to the 25th of September, 2022 at the Zayed International stadium and the Tolerance oval grounds in Abu Dhabi. The tournament will see 8 nations contest in the league stage games and the two finalists will qualify for the main event in South Africa in 2023.
The 8 nations taking part in the qualifier are divided into 2 groups for the league stage games, following which the knockout matches will be played. Group A consists of Bangladesh, the United States of America, Ireland and Scotland. Group B sees Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (hosts), Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe in the mix.
Final 2 Teams that will play Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 next year in South Africa will be decided in Abu Dhabi #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/XBzdIQE7dz
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 31, 2022
The United States has made it to the UAE after qualifying in the 2021 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier that was played in Mexico in October 2021. Argentina and Brazil too competed in the event for the first time since 2012 alongside Canada and the USA. The United States won the tournament, winning five of their six matches and progressed to the Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament.
The seedings had the United States with 5 wins in 6 games (10 points) lead the chart which had Brazil with 4 wins in 6 games (8 points), Canada with 3 wins in 6 games (6 points) and Argentina with 0 wins in 6 games follow.
USA Cricket have announced a 15-player squad for their first ever T20 World Cup that gets underway in a few days in the United Arab Emirates. Sindhu Sriharsha who successfully captained USA to victory at the Americas regional qualifier last year in Mexico City is named as the captain and Geetika Kodali has been appointed as her deputy. USA in their previous tours against West Indies Rising Stars (U19 T20 Championship) and West Indies U19’s enjoyed series wins and it is a good mix from the same two touring squads that the current 15 have been named.
USA’s squad for the T20 World Cup qualifier :
Sindhu Sriharsha (C), Geetika Kodali (VC), Anika Kolan, Bhumika Bhadriraju, Disha Dhingra, Gargi Bhogle, lsani Vaghela, Lisa Ramjit, Moksha Chaudhary, Preeti lyenger, Ritu Singh, Snigdha Paul, Suhani Thadani, Taranum Chopra, Yashaditi Teki
Standby players :
Mahika Kandanala, Sai Tanmayi Eyyunni, Uzma lfthikar
USA’s regular head coach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is unavailable due to a prior commitment that sees two coaches from the women’s domestic program in Earl Daley & Burt Cockley stepping in for the tour.
Interim Chairman of the USA women’s National Selection Panel, Ritesh Kadu said, “It continues to be a really busy period for the women’s game with plenty of the players selected having been involved in the U19 series vs West Indies and almost all of them taking part in both the Sistar Mortgage Regional and Nationals in Texas. With the younger players continuing to excel, we have selected a very youthful squad on merit which will be led by captain Sindhu Sriharsha and our newly named vice-captain Geetika Kodali who has been a brilliant skipper for the Under 19s. We know that it will not be an easy challenge in the UAE but we believe that we have a very talented young team. We are pleased to see such a youthful and exciting squad selected which combined with the experience within the team will make for a formidable squad as we go to take on plenty of higher ranked opposition.”
Richard Done, USA Cricket Operations Director, said, “The Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier offers a magnificent opportunity for our women’s team to take on some of the best sides in the world with a first-ever appearance at any World Cup at stake. After a fantastic Americas qualifier effort last year in Mexico City and some highly impressive performances by our Under 19 team in the Caribbean and Florida, there is plenty of confidence in the wider Women and Girls program which is a huge focus for USA Cricket.”
USA in their buildup to the mega ICC event, are scheduled to play in a Quadrangular T20I series alongside Thailand, Zimbabwe and UAE. All the games of the series are set to be played at the Sevens cricket ground in Dubai where each side plays the other (3) ones.
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