Thailand, Scotland, and the Netherlands have called for a structured second-tier Women’s ODI competition beneath the Full-Member ICC Women’s Championship, similar to the men’s CWC League 2.
This request follows the recent announcement that Zimbabwe will join the next cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, expanding it from 10 to 11 teams for 2026-2029. Despite this expansion, other Associate sides remain excluded, even though Thailand currently ranks 9th, Scotland 12th, and the Netherlands 13th, with Zimbabwe at 14th.
In men’s cricket, Associate nations compete in CWC League 2, a multi-year league with ICC-funded ODI trilaterals. In contrast, the five Associate ODI nations in women’s cricket must self-fund their bilateral series, creating a stark disparity.
Thailand, despite ranking higher than Full Member nations like Pakistan (10th) and Ireland (11th), faces additional challenges. Shan Kader, Cricket Thailand’s Director of Cricket, emphasised the disadvantage, stating, “The lack of a structured [women’s] competition does put Thailand at a disadvantage… If this is introduced to women’s cricket, I am sure our performances and consistency will definitely improve.”
Thailand has not played an ODI in over a year, their last match being against the Netherlands on July 7, 2023. They have played just nine ODIs in their history, winning eight. This limited match exposure is partly due to the Women’s World Cup qualification process, which discourages teams like Thailand from scheduling more ODIs, as rankings heavily influence qualification.
Roland Lefebvre, the Netherlands High Performance Manager, voiced his concerns during a women’s trilateral ODI series in the Netherlands. He noted, “It’s long overdue… The ICC’s stated strategic objectives were to place a particular emphasis on growing the women’s game, but in terms of structure and support, there’s still nothing comparable to [Men’s Cricket World Cup] League 2 or even the Challenge Leagues in women’s cricket.”
Steve Snell, Scotland’s Head of Performance, echoed these sentiments: “If you consider the ICC’s objectives for growing women’s cricket, they currently aren’t really mirrored in the structure of the women’s game… It’s not a true meritocracy.”
The Netherlands and Scotland recently competed in a trilateral ODI series with Papua New Guinea in Utrecht and Amsterdam from August 5th to 16th, where Scotland emerged victorious in the final match against the hosts. The next highest-ranked teams on the Women’s ODI rankings by the end of October will join the bottom four finishers in the Qualifier, competing for the final two spots in the 2025 World Cup in India.
The call by Thailand, Scotland, and the Netherlands for a structured second-tier Women’s ODI competition underscores the need for a fair, meritocratic system in women’s cricket. Without regular, ICC-funded matches like those in men’s cricket, these teams face significant disadvantages, limiting their growth and competitiveness. Establishing such a structure would be crucial for the global development of the women’s game.
The ICC has been invited to comment upon the request and the situation.
