Preponement of Women’s Champions Trophy forces Cricket Australia to redraw calendar
ICC (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 02 Jun 2026, 07:48 AM• Read time - 2 mins
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a significant scheduling shift for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Champions Trophy. Originally slated for June-July 2027 in Sri Lanka, the tournament has now been preponed to February 14-28, 2027, with no official reason provided for the change.
First announced in 2022, the eight‑team competition will be played in the T20 format, a decision finalised during the ICC’s quarterly meeting in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Impact on Cricket Australia’s calendar
The sudden rescheduling has immediate repercussions for Cricket Australia (CA), which had earmarked February-March 2027 to host the White Ferns for a white‑ball tour.
The series was set to feature three T20Is (February 21, 24, and 26 at North Sydney Oval, Manuka Oval, and Junction Oval) followed by three ODIs (March 1, 5, and 7 at Junction Oval and Karen Rolton Oval). With the Champions Trophy now overlapping, CA will be forced to redraw its calendar and reschedule the fixtures.
Pathway for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup
Alongside the Champions Trophy update, the ICC unveiled a revamped Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, a 10‑team competition to be played this year. The format will feature five Full Members and as many Associate Members, selected based on ICC rankings.
The ICC also confirmed the qualification pathway for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Matches involving India, however, will be staged at a neutral venue should direct qualification not be secured.
Like the 2026 edition, the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup will be a 12‑team event. Ten teams will qualify directly, including the top eight from the upcoming T20 World Cup, the host nation (if not already qualified), and the next highest‑ranked sides as of July 6, 2026.
The final two berths will be determined through a 10‑team Global Qualifier, based on Regional Qualifiers, with allocations to be finalised during the ICC’s July meetings.
