The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that England and Wales will host the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Less than ten years after England skipper Heather Knight won the 50-over ICC Women’s World Cup on a memorable day at Lord’s in 2017, England will host another international women’s cricket championship.
Clare Connor, ECB Interim Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve been selected to host the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
“We saw back in 2017 how hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup captured people’s imagination and I’ll never forget watching Heather Knight lift the trophy on that magical day at a sold-out Lord’s.
“Women’s cricket has developed rapidly since then, from the numbers of girls picking up bats through All Stars Cricket and Dynamos Cricket, joining clubs, and being able to progress on a pathway to the highest levels of performance. We’re seeing right now the positive impact that the UEFA Women’s European Championships is having for football, and hosting this global cricket event will give us another incredible opportunity to inspire even more girls to pick up a bat and ball.”
Martin Darlow, ECB Interim Chair, said: “This is a huge year for women’s cricket in our country, with England women competing in the Commonwealth Games for the first time, the second year of The Hundred following straight after and then England and India meeting at Lord’s as part of our white ball series.
“The women’s game is growing at a remarkable pace, and hosting the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will give a further boost to our strategy to make cricket a gender-balanced sport. This is a really exciting opportunity.”