THE cricket women’s squads competing at the Pacific Games was announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) East Asia-Pacific (EAP) office yesterday.
The women’s competition would be held in Port Moresby from July 6- 11.
The teams competing in the tournament are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, New Caledonia and Samoa. This is the first time that women’s cricket will be staged alongside men’s cricket at the Pacific Games.
The women’s competition will also be used as part of the qualifying process for the 2018 Women’s World T20, which means that the top two EAP teams will qualify for a tri-series against Japan next year.
“In its own right, participating in the Pacific Games is a real highlight for many Pacific athletes. However, in Port Moresby the women’s cricketers will have even more at stake with the ICC partnering with the Pacific Games Council to make this event a part of the global qualifying pathway for the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 tournament,” said the ICC’s Regional Development Manager East Asia-Pacific Kieran McMillan.
“It is an exciting time for women’s cricket globally and the T20 format presents a real opportunity for developing cricket nations to make their mark on the world stage, particularly Pacific nations that are overflowing with players that have natural flair, power and aggression.
“We expect a tough battle for the gold medal, as well as for the two qualifying spots on the road to what is one of the showpiece events in world cricket.”
The first round of matches will be played on Monday July 6 with the finals to be held on Saturday July 11.
