England and Wales Cricket Board chosen to host 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

The 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in England and Wales, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced today.

The success of the ECB’s bid to host the competition means this country will host another global women’s cricket competition less than a decade since England captain Heather Knight lifted the 50-over ICC Women’s World Cup on an unforgettable day at Lord’s in 2017.

With transforming women’s and girls’ cricket being one of the key pillars of the ECB’s Inspiring Generations strategy, hosting the competition will provide another opportunity to turbocharge this work, inspire more children, and build further on the rapid growth of the game in this country.

Clare Connor, ECB Interim Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve been selected to host the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

“We saw back in 2017 how hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup captured people’s imagination and I’ll never forget watching Heather Knight lift the trophy on that magical day at a sold-out Lord’s.

“Women’s cricket has developed rapidly since then, from the numbers of girls picking up bats through All Stars and Dynamos, joining clubs, and being able to progress on a pathway to the highest levels of performance. We’re seeing right now the positive impact that the UEFA Women’s Euro is having for football, and hosting this global cricket event will give us another incredible opportunity to inspire even more girls to pick up a bat and ball.”

Martin Darlow, ECB Interim Chair, said: “This is a huge year for women’s cricket in our country, with England women competing in the Commonwealth Games for the first time, the second year of The Hundred following straight after and then England and India meeting at Lord’s as part of our white ball series.

“The women’s game is growing at a remarkable pace, and hosting the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will give a further boost to our strategy to make cricket a gender-balanced sport. This is a really exciting opportunity.”

Since the Inspiring Generations strategy was unveiled in 2019, a new women’s regional domestic structure has been established and the first domestic professional contracts awarded. There are now 68 professional female players in England and Wales, up from 17 in 2019.

The Hundred – with men’s and women’s competitions running alongside each other on an equal platform – launched last year and has also significantly raised the profile of women’s cricket, with record numbers watching women’s cricket on TV and in grounds.

There are also now over 1,000 clubs offering women and girls the chance to play, and there has been a 33% increase in the number of women’s and girls’ teams since 2019.

Today the ICC also announced that Bangladesh will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, India will host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and Sri Lanka will host the ICC Women’s T20 Champions Trophy 2027.

Greg Barclay, ICC Chair, said: “We are delighted to have awarded ICC women’s white ball events to Bangladesh, India, England and Sri Lanka. Accelerating the growth of the women’s game is one of the ICC’s strategic priorities and taking these events to some of our sport’s biggest markets give us a fantastic opportunity to do that and deepen its connection with cricket’s 1 billion plus fans.”

Today’s news comes as England Women prepare to compete in the Commonwealth Games, with women’s cricket featuring for the first time - another significant moment in showcasing the game on a global stage.

Detailed arrangements for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, including which venues it will be played at, will now be developed and agreed with the ICC.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "A decade on from London 2012 and ahead of women's T20 cricket taking place at the Commonwealth Games from this weekend, I'm delighted that the ICC has recognised the UK's reputation as a host of major sporting events and champion for women's sport.

"Thanks to the inspirational performances of Heather Knight's team, our grassroots projects, impressive attendance figures at international and domestic matches and the increasing visibility on television and social media, we are one of the leading countries in the growth of women's cricket.

"We know that sporting events hosted on our doorstep capture imaginations - whether through encouraging children to pick up balls and bats, or wider social and economic benefits. I look forward to working closely with tournament organisers on how we can use the spirit of this event to boost participation, deliver jobs, tourism opportunities, and unearth our stars of the future."

Wales’ Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “It’s fantastic news that the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is coming to Wales! The Welsh Government has been fully supportive of the ECB’s ambition to bring this event to Wales and England, so we’re delighted the bid has been successful.

“We want to see women’s cricket grow. By having the opportunity to watch top class women’s cricket here in Wales, we hope the next generation of women’s cricketers will be inspired to take up the sport.”

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