Cricket will feature in the Commonwealth Games set to be held from 27 July to 8 August in Birmingham, England. In 2018, the ICC and the ECB made a joint bid to include cricket in the Commonwealth Games. In 2019, the bid was approved after a vote was conducted among 71 Commonwealth Games Associations.
The sport was last featured in the CG in the form of a List A tournament in the 1998 edition hosted by Malaysia. This time around, cricket will take the form of a women’s T20 international competition.
Eight Teams Placed in Two Round Robin Leagues
The tournament will feature eight teams divided into two round-robin leagues of four teams each. As hosts, England have qualified automatically, along with the world’s six top-ranked sides, as on 1 April 2021. These are Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies.
The eighth place has been handed to Sri Lanka after they beat Bangladesh in the final of a qualifier tournament held in January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. West Indies will be represented by Barbados, the winners of the T20 Blaze competition.
Group A will have Australia, Barbados, India and Pakistan, while Group B will feature England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. All matches will be held at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
The Schedule
The cricket tournament will kick off on 29 July, with a match between Australia and India.
Group A Schedule | |
---|---|
Date, Time (British Summer Time) | Teams |
29 July 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | Australia vs India |
29 July 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | Barbados vs Pakistan |
31 July 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | India vs Pakistan |
31 July 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | Australia vs Barbados |
3 August 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | Australia vs Pakistan |
3 August 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | Barbados vs India |
Group B Schedule | |
---|---|
Date, Time (British Summer Time) | Teams |
30 July 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | New Zealand vs South Africa |
30 July 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | England vs Sri Lanka |
2 August 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | England vs South Africa |
2 August 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka |
4 August 2024, 11:00 to 14:30 | South Africa vs Sri Lanka |
4 August 2024, 18:00 to 21:30 | England vs New Zealand |
The semi-finals will take place on 6 August, followed by the final on 7 August. The bronze medal match between the losing semi-finalists will also be held on the day of the final.
Bookmakers’ Odds
Australia women head the current world T20 rankings, followed in turn by England, New Zealand, India, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Barring upsets, Australia and India should finish first and second in Group A. England, and New Zealand are likely to finish as the top two teams in Group B.
Thus, we expect Australia to face New Zealand in the first semi-final game on 6 August. The second semi-final is likely to be contested by England and India. Going strictly by rankings, Australia and England are likely to meet in the title clash, with India and New Zealand vying for the bronze medal. Bookmakers are likely to consider Australia the favourites to win the gold medal.
Can India Upset the Odds?
We wouldn’t rule India out of contention for the gold medal. We don’t consider any team other than Australia or England capable of beating India. However, India could beat England in the semi-final. After they have entered the final, India can upset the odds and grab the top spot by beating Australia, the bookmaker’s favourites.
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