ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy Expands To 10 Teams, Five Full Members Join Second Edition
ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy expands to 10 teams, five full members join second edition - Image Source: IANS
T20I Player Rankings: The ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy will feature 10 teams for the first time when its second edition takes place in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, from November 12 to 25, with Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe joining five Associate Members in an expanded competition aimed at strengthening the international women’s cricket pathway.
The tournament will be staged at the Karwan Sports and Seven Districts grounds, with the participating teams divided into two groups of five. The group stage will be followed by a Super Six phase and the final, under a format approved on the recommendation of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and subsequently confirmed by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee.
The expanded lineup will bring together teams from different levels of the international game, offering players greater exposure to varied opposition and more opportunities to compete in a high-performance environment.
Group A comprises Ireland, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, Sri Lanka and the UAE, while Group B features Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand and Zimbabwe.
ICC General Manager – Events and Cricket Operations, Gaurav Saxena, said the expansion would help provide more substantial international opportunities for emerging teams and contribute to the development of women’s cricket.
“The expansion of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy to 10 teams is an important step in providing more meaningful international competition for emerging teams and supporting the continued growth of women’s cricket. Bringing together five full members and five associate members will create valuable opportunities for players to test themselves against a wider range of opposition and gain experience in a high-performance environment. We look forward to welcoming the participating teams to Ajman for the second edition of the tournament.”
The 2026 edition builds on the inaugural tournament held in 2025, when Thailand emerged as champions on home soil. Thailand finished level on points with Scotland, the Netherlands and the UAE, with net run rate separating the teams in the final standings.
“The expansion of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy to 10 teams is an important step in providing more meaningful international competition for emerging teams and supporting the continued growth of women’s cricket. Bringing together five full members and five associate members will create valuable opportunities for players to test themselves against a wider range of opposition and gain experience in a high-performance environment. We look forward to welcoming the participating teams to Ajman for the second edition of the tournament.”
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Article Source: IANS