BENONI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the inaugural ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup here on Wednesday, with one month to go until the first ball is bowled in the tournament.
The event which is a first of its kind in world cricket will take place from January 14 to 29, 2023 and will see the future stars of the women's game compete in 41 matches played across four venues in Benoni and Potchefstroom in 16 days of competitive cricket.
The 16 teams in the fray include Indonesia and Rwanda, who will feature in an ICC World Cup for the first time ever. Eleven full member nations gained automatic entry in this historic edition: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Scotland, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States of America (USA) join Indonesia and Rwanda to take the remaining five slots, representing each of the ICC's five regions.
The teams will be divided into groups of four. Australia are in group A along with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and USA while Group B features England, Pakistan, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. New Zealand, Ireland, Indonesia and the West Indies complete the group C, with India, Scotland, South Africa and the UAE featuring in Group D.
At the competition launch, former Proteas women's cricketer and South African Olympic javelin silver medallist, Sunette Viljoen, was unveiled as the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Ambassador. She was joined by the Member of the Executive Council of Gauteng Sports, Arts & Culture, Morakane Mosupyoe.
The other notable guests included Cricket South Africa Board Member and LOC Chair, Muditambi Ravele, CSA CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, UNICEF South Africa Chief of Communications & Partnerships, Toby Fricker and South Africa women's team players, Sinalo Jafta and Raisibe Ntozakhe.
"This is a watershed moment for women's cricket in South Africa and for the game in our country. To host one ICC event in a year is cause for great celebration, but to claim two in such quick succession is beyond our wildest dreams," Tournament Director Sivuyile Mqingwana said in an ICC media statement. IANS
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