of 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) are taking place today, July 29 in Birmingham. Fans are excited to watch the sporting carnival for the next 11 days in the UK. To double their excitement, this year cricket will return to the Commonwealth Games after 24 years. In 1998, men’s cricket was part of the Kuala Lampur games. This time, women’s cricket will make its debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
A total of eight teams will play in the tournament, which will be played in the T20I format. England qualified for the tournament as hosts while Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan qualified for the tournament based on their ICC rankings in T20Is. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka qualified for the tournament after beating Bangladesh in the qualifiers.
In addition to these seven teams, the West Indies were also directly qualified for the tournament, which was also in the first six in the ranking. However, they cannot participate in the tournament. Instead, Barbados Women are participating in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Barbados women’s cricket team đ is set to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, scheduled for July 28 to August 8, 2022.#barbados #barbadianathletes #bimatlete#cricket pic.twitter.com/wgbmyWDahq
â Bim Athletes (@AthletesBim) July 29, 2022
Why West Indies Women are not playing despite directly qualifying for CWG 2022?
The Commonwealth Games are for Commonwealth nations only. A total of six Caribbean countries are part of the Commonwealth Games Association. As it is a multi-sport competition and not all Caribbean countries are part of the Commonwealth group, West Indians could not participate as a nation in the tournament.
To send a team to the tournament, a regional tour was planned in 2020 and 2022. The tour included the teams: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament had to be postponed in both cases. It was decided that Barbados Women will play in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having won the previous edition of the T20 Blaze.
The Barbados women will be led by Hayley Matthews in the competition. They are in Group A along with India, Pakistan and Australia. Barbados Women will begin their campaign today, July 29 against Pakistan Women at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Women of Barbados: Hayley Matthews (c), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Shai Carrington, Shaunte Carrington, Shamilia Connell, Deandra DottinKeila Elliott, Trishan Holder, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Alisa Scantlebury, Shakera Selman, Tiffany Thorpe, Aaliyah Williams.
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