The International Cricket Council (ICC) on
Tuesday confirmed the teams that will participate in the Commonwealth Games, to
be held in July-August, in Birmingham. Sri Lanka was the eighth team to qualify
for the women’s T20 event.

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The announcement was made jointly by the
International Cricket Council and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
following Sri Lanka’s victory in the Commonwealth Games Qualifier in Kuala
Lumpur last week and the subsequent CGF ratification of the island nation’s
entry.

Australia, Barbados, England, India, New
Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan have already qualified as women’s cricket
makes its first entry into the Commonwealth Games.

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Cricket
last featured in CWG in 1998

It will only be the second time that
cricket features in the multi-discipline event after a men’s competition was
part of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and is considered a massive
opportunity to bring the game to new audiences.

A Shaun Pollock-led South Africa had won
the gold on that occasion, beating Steve Waugh’s Australian side by four
wickets in the final.

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ICC Hall of Famers Sachin Tendulkar of
India, Jacques Kallis of South Africa and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka were
among the many stars featuring in the Games then.

The league-cum-knockout tournament this
time kicks off with a match between women’s 2020 T20 World Cup finalists
Australia and India on 29 July, with the bronze and gold medal matches
scheduled for 7 August.

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Barbados and Pakistan are in Group A along
with Australia and India while England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka
form Group B.

The ICC, CGF and Commonwealth Games Sri
Lanka congratulated Sri Lanka for their qualification and looked forward to an
exciting tournament.

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‘CWG
is important for the game’

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said:
“It’s good to have finalised the identity of the teams participating in
the Commonwealth Games. We will have eight of the best teams competing for the
gold and I am sure we will get to watch a highly competitive tournament.

“The Commonwealth Games are an
important part of the women’s cricket calendar over the next year. It is a huge
opportunity for us to take cricket beyond the traditional strongholds and give
more people around the world the chance to enjoy the game.”

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CGF President Dame Louise Martin said:
“Cricket is a sport synonymous with the Commonwealth. We are so excited to
have it back in the Games for the first time since the men’s 50 over
competition at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

“The debut of women’s T20 cricket will
be a historic moment and a wonderful showcase of women’s sport across the
world.”

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The Birmingham Commonwealth Games, being
held from 28 July to 8 August, will see 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and
territories compete across 11 days.

Birmingham 2022 will be the first major
multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men.