ICC Women's Committee head happy with schedule

The ICC Women's Committee chairperson Clare Connor is delighted with the governing body's International Development Board (IDI) for approving six global women's tournaments between 2016 and 2023.

The schedule will see two ICC Women's World Cups as well as four ICC World Twenty20 events, including the continuation of the joint men's and women's events of the World Twenty20 in 2016 and 2020 in India and Australia, respectively.

In 2018, in the West Indies and 2022 in South Africa, the women's event will be a stand-alone tournament.

"I am delighted with the schedule of women's events through to 2023. It is a great outcome for women's cricket.

"The agreement of a schedule that incorporates a fixed cycle for women's events illustrates how seriously women's cricket is taken by the International Cricket Council,” Connor said.

"Following on from the highly successful ICC Women's World Cup recently in India, an event that clearly showcased the increasing depth, talent and excitement in women's cricket, this cycle provides a great platform for the continuing growth of women's cricket," she added.

There was more good news for women's cricket when the IDI Board also agreed to expand the ICC Women's World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 to a 10-team tournament.

This means that the top three teams from the ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier 2013, to be held in Dublin, Ireland, from 23-31 July, will now join Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies in the 2014 tournament that will be staged from 16 March to 6 April 2014.

ICC women's major global events for the period 2016-2023 are:

ICC World Twenty20 2016 (joint men's and women's) – BCCI

ICC Women's World Cup 2017 – ECB

ICC Women's World Twenty20 2018 – WICB

ICC World Twenty20 2020 (joint men's and women's) – Cricket Australia

ICC Women's World Cup 2021 – NZC

ICC Women's World Twenty20 2022 – CSA.

Image: (L-R) Sitting: Clare Connor; Geoff Allardice,  Anil Kumble, David Richardson, Ranjan Madugalle,  

Standing: Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, David Kendix, Andrew Strauss, Ravi Shastri, Vince van der Bijl, Trent Johnston, John Stephenson, Clive Hitchcock and David White pose for a group photograph prior to the start of the ICC Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's

Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images