Emerging Nations tournament introduced by the ICC as Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, UAE will participate.
ICC launches Emerging Nations Trophy for women.
Eight teams from four continents will compete in the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, a brand-new international competition, from November 20 to 30 in Bangkok. The first event will feature participation from Thailand, Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The recent ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, which attracted “more than 500 million viewers in India” and “significant growth in viewership across countries,” was the catalyst for the competition, according to an ICC statement.
“Nearly 300,000 fans attended matches across India and Sri Lanka and the event concluded with India becoming the first Asian team to lift the Women’s Cricket World Cup, a watershed moment in the evolution of the sport and the socio-cultural context of gender roles,” an ICC statement said. “Building on the extraordinary impetus provided by the marquee event, the ICC continues to invest in creating a sustainable future for women’s cricket. The Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy is part of a new three-tier development pathway designed to offer high-performance exposure to emerging nations.”
Sanjog Gupta, the ICC chief executive, said, “It is the ICC and the Chair’s [Jay Shah] vision to sustainably expand cricket’s footprint across the world and grow the women’s game. Providing elite athletes from emerging nations more opportunities to play at the highest level is aimed at fast-tracking their development and improving the competitiveness of their teams.
“It also drives the visibility of the sport in participant nations, serving as a driver of girls’ involvement in the sport and inspires women from other nations to stay committed to the development pathways.”
The opening day will feature Thailand vs Netherlands and Papua New Guinea vs UAE.