Women get same billing as men at World Twenty20 in Australia

In a significant coup for women’s cricket, the ICC World Twenty20, to be hosted in Australia in 2020, will see the women’s and men’s competitions receive equal billing, with both finals to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In a first, both tournaments will be held as stand alone events in the same year and same host country, with the women’s competition to run from 21 February to 8 March and the men’s from 18 October to 15 November 2020.

The men’s competition will feature the world’s top 16 teams, while the women’s event will feature the top 10 teams. In addition to the MCG final, the women’s semi-finals will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the men’s semi-finals at the SCG and Adelaide Oval.

Cricket Australia is hoping that the women’s final – scheduled to take place on International Women’s Day (Sunday 8 March) will break the world-record attendance for a women’s sporting match. The MCG can hold 100,024, while the most-attended women’s sport event is the 1999 football world cup final, which drew 90,185 fans.

Locally, the record is 41,000 for a women’s Australian rules football match in 1929, although that is likely to be broken in AFLW season two at the new 60,000 capacity Perth stadium.

International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson praised Cricket Australia and government “at all levels” for their commitment to women’s sport.

“The ambition they have shown firstly in delivering stand-alone men’s and women’s events and then in the venue selection that will, I hope set a record for the biggest ever attendance at a women’s sporting event, is exciting for the sport.”

ICC World Twenty20 2020 local organising committee chief executive, Nick Hockley, said the event had been planned with “inclusion” and “diversity” in mind.

“Australia is a sporting nation, with diverse and passionate fans who love cricket. We’ve designed ICC World T20, comprising standalone women’s and men’s events, to be more inclusive, more accessible and more connected than ever before, so that everyone can join in.”

Ellyse Perry, named ICC women’s player of the year in 2017, had previously laid out her hopes for the future of women’s cricket – including featuring the T20 World Cup final at the MCG.

“Leading into Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in 2020, I’d really like to see the women’s games filling out decent-sized stadiums and making it really valuable property for Cricket Australia,” she said at the time.

The eight host cities for the event are: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and 13 separate venues will be used throughout the tournament.

(GUARDIAN)