Host cities for ICC U-19 Women's T20 WC 2023 in South Africa revealed

8 of the 10 teams have been confirmed for the senior showpiece, with the 2 remaining qualifiers to be determined at the ICC Women's T20 WC Qualifier taking place in the UAE in September 2022

Cricket South Africa (CSA) revealed that the coastal cities of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Paarl and Cape Town will team up to host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February 2023 with Benoni and Potchefstroom hosting the first edition of the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup in January 2023.

It has been a long stretch since the Eastern and Western Cape hosted an international ICC event and they will now play host to the next edition of the Women's T20 World Cup. Newlands in Cape Town last hosted the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007, while St George's Park in Gqeberha and Boland Park in Paarl will host their first major ICC event matches since the 2003 Men's Cricket World Cup.

 

"We are thrilled to announce the three cities to host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup," Tournament Director, Russell Adams said in a statement on Monday.

"The Eastern and Western Cape are prime cricket and tourist locations with great facilities and infrastructure. We have no doubt that these venues will step up to make this a memorable and uniquely African celebration of cricket for the local and international fans attending the event," he added.

Eight of the 10 teams have been confirmed for the senior showpiece, with the two remaining qualifiers to be determined at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier taking place in the United Arab Emirates in September 2022.

The two host cities for the first ever U19 Women's T20 World Cup which showcases the future stars of the sport are Benoni and Potchefstroom which are seasoned ICC event hosts, having recently hosted the U19 Men's CWC in 2020. There is one remaining place available to qualify for the 16-team event which will be confirmed in September following the conclusion of the Africa Qualifier.

"This is a special time for women's cricket in South Africa, we are excited to be host of the inaugural U19 Women's T20 World Cup and look forward to the spotlight focusing on the world's best cricketers," Sivuyile Mqingwana, U19 Women's T20 World Cup Tournament Director commented.

"We hope all the players taking part will enjoy their time on the big stage and more young girls will pick up the bat and ball to play the game," added Sivuyile.

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: "We are delighted to announce the host cities for both women's events taking place in South Africa in early 2023. It is a very exciting time for women's cricket with the first U19 T20 World Cup showcasing the future stars of our sport and the next edition of the ultimate prize in the T20 format."

"I have no doubt the host venues identified across both events will provide the best platform to deliver two unforgettable World Cups and another significant milestone for women's sport," he concluded.