Thursday was a watershed moment for cricket as Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on proposed the inclusion of women's cricket in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This decision will now need to be ratified by CGF members and it will then be followed by a comprehensive bidding process, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) presented the compelling case for women's cricket to become part of the Commonwealth Games programme.
This application for the inclusion of women's cricket for the 2022 tournament is also a part of a global movement to include and inspire and empower women and young girls around the world to pick up the sport and give them greater levels of inclusivity in the sport.
Manu Sawhney, ICC Chief Executive, in a statement said, "We are absolutely delighted that women's cricket has been nominated for inclusion in Birmingham 2022. I'd like to thank everyone at the CGF and Birmingham 2022 for the nomination and it would be a real honour to become part of the Commonwealth Games family."
"We are committed to accelerating the growth of the women's game and breaking down barriers and gender stereotypes along the way. We share our ambition to deliver greater equality, fairness and opportunity in the sport with the Commonwealth Games Federation. The platform of Birmingham 2022 will provide a springboard for women's cricket and will inspire and engage young girls around the world to be part of this wonderful and inclusive sport," Sawhney further added.
As per Tom Harrison, who is the ECB Chief Executive Officer, this inclusion of women's cricket in Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games would be a huge moment which will go a long way in the development of the sport all around the globe.
"It would present us with a wonderful opportunity to capitalize on the global reach of these Games to showcase the very best of women's cricket and in doing so inspire a new generation of women and girls from around the world to start playing the game. We are extremely grateful to the teams at Birmingham 2022 and CGF for providing us with this opportunity and for sharing our vision for the future of women's cricket," Harrison said.
