ICC Women's World T20 Global Qualifiers schedule announced

Yes, mark the dates. ICC has announced the full schedule of ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers. The tournament will be played in the Netherlands from 7 to 14 July. All matches are classified as T20 Internationals after a recent ICC effect.



The third edition of the tournament comprises eight Associate Nations. Among the eight teams, two teams will be qualified to play in the ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies from 9 to 24th November. The teams are drawn into two groups. Bangladesh, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and UAE are placed in Group A. On the other side Ireland, Scotland, Uganda and Thailand are placed in the Group B.



The knockout tournament will be played at the Kampong Cricket Club in Utrecht and the VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen, with defending champions Ireland taking on Thailand in their first match on 7th July and Scotland and Uganda featuring in the Group A match on the opening day. Last time’s runners-up Bangladesh will play PNG and the Netherlands will take on the UAE in other matches on the opening day.



The semifinals will be played on 12th July at the VRA Cricket Ground while the final will be at the Kampong Cricket Club on 14th July. Bangladesh and Ireland seem to be early favourites who can give tough challenge to the other teams. But we all know cricket is an unpredictable game so we can not say if one of the dark horses make their way into the final.



All the captains are very excited and practising hard to make their way into the global Tournament. Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies are already qualified for the tournament.



The following quotes were given to the ICC Media.



ICC Women’s Cricket Manager Holly Colvin said, “The exciting nature of T20Is and the competitive qualification format will give participating teams the experience of performing under pressure. New conditions and different oppositions provide great exposure for participating teams, and with the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 not far away, the finalists can carry momentum with them.”



Bangladesh captain Rumana Ahmed said, “This is a great opportunity for us to display what we are capable of doing and also qualify for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the process. In this tournament, we will get a chance to play a number of teams and also get exposure to different conditions. We are confident we will gel together as a team and come up with some memorable performances.”



Captain of Ireland Team, Laura Delany told, “2018 is a big year for the Ireland women’s cricket team. After our tour of Zimbabwe in February, we are hosting New Zealand and Bangladesh at home before heading to the Netherlands for the WWT20Qs."



"Our head coach Aaron Hamilton is putting together a competitive squad that blends experience with some fresh faces who are set to make an impression on world cricket. I believe that over these next few months our team will demonstrate that we have a bright future and we will step up to the challenges ahead. She further added, “There are no easy games at this level of international cricket, but we are confident that if we play to our collective abilities then we will put ourselves in an excellent position to go through to the main tournament in the Caribbean in November.”



Netherlands captain Heather Siegers said, "Playing in a World Qualifying tournament at home is a wonderful honour and privilege, to be able to host players from all around the world is a great chance for us here in the Netherlands to showcase the best we have to offer."



“We have a young but very talented squad and they are all really looking forward to playing at home against some wonderful sides. Being able to captain the side against these teams will make me very proud and hopefully, we will be able to put in a string of good performances and thus go onto the next stage."



Player of PNG Ravini Oa added, “It is a chance for all of us to come together and produce some performances which we will cherish for a long time. We know we are up against some very good teams but hope to be able to do our best. As a senior player, I’m looking forward to going at my best in July. We’ve been training hard over the last few months and we are trying to hit our peak as we enter the Qualifiers. We are building strong foundations together as a team and we can’t wait for the tournament to begin in the Netherlands.”



Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce said, “We’re really looking forward to challenging ourselves in the T20 format with our clear goal of qualification. Having seen the men’s team come so close in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier and the excitement it generated around the country, we’ll be looking to replicate their performances to keep Scottish cricket firmly on the map. We know if we play to our abilities and take our chances, we’ve got every chance of qualification.”



Captain of Thailand Team, Sornnarin Tippoch told, "We have been preparing well for this special tournament with a squad which is a mix of youth and experience.  We are going to take it game by game and perform to the best of our abilities. The team's spirit is high, especially after winning Gold in the South East Asian Games.



“We are playing against some strong teams in the Women's Asia Cup in Malaysia so we will be ready to play our best cricket in the Netherlands. This is our third time in the World T20 Qualifiers and we want to make history for Thailand cricket by reaching the World T20 in the West Indies."



Uganda captain Kevin Awino said,  “We are very excited playing at this level as it only reflects the hard work we have put in recent months as a team. It’s work in progress but we believe this just reflects the improvement in our cricket. We know it’s a different level with good sides, considering it’s our first time being at this level but we ought to give ourselves the opportunity to challenge ourselves as players. This will help us provide a suitable level of competition to our opponents."



She further added, “We look ahead to enjoy every little bit of the tournament but not forgetting that we are here representing not only Uganda but the whole of Africa at this tournament."



Humeira Tasneem, captain of UAE Team said, "This is one of the most significant tournaments in the calendar and it is an amazing feeling to be a part of it. We have worked extremely hard to get here and we want to make sure that we play to our potential. We want to earn the right to play in the World Cup and we will fight hard. We will play each match to win and I know if we play as a team and go according to our plans, we have a very good chance. It’s going to be an exhilarating tournament for all of us."