Women’s World Cup success moves cricket closer to Olympic return in 2024

The success of the Women’s World Cup won by England on Sunday and watched by millions around the globe has propelled cricket closer to a return to the Olympic Games in 2024. The International Cricket Council is determined to capitalise on recent advances in the women’s game and push on with a bid for Twenty20 competitions, for both genders, to be included. Agreement with the Games is considered closer than ever.

After the World Cup, the ICC recognises how cricket featuring in the Olympics would give the women’s game even greater profile and open up new funding from national governments. There is stronger support for the concept among the ICC’s 104 members than ever before, recognising the opportunity that the Olympics presents.


T20 would be the format played, with no appetite among either the ICC or International Olympic Committee for a different concept, such as six-a-side cricket. At this stage it is most likely that, after regional qualification to determine the participating teams, both the men’s and women’s events would feature eight nations, competing in two groups of four with the top two in each advancing to the semi-finals.