ICC announces schedule for inaugural ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup

The schedule for the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa has been announced. The historical event will showcase the future stars of the game with 16 teams traveling to the Rainbow Nation to compete in 41 matches from 14 to 29 January 2023 in Benoni and Potchefstroom.

The 16 participating teams which also include the very best U19 female players in the world comprise 11 Full ICC Members and five Associates. The four groups are as follows:

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Group A:
Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United States of America (USA).

Group B:
England, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

Group C:
Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, and West Indies.

Group D:
India, Scotland, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Rwanda joins fellow newcomers Indonesia, as first-time ICC World Cup participants at any level. The former beat out Tanzania by six wickets on Monday to secure their place in the event which promises to see even more dazzling performances as it progresses.

Scotland, the UAE, and the USA were the three remaining teams that qualified for the World Cup through the regional qualification pathway, detailed here.

The 41-match World Cup schedule will begin on 14 January with Australia taking on Bangladesh. Meanwhile, it will be followed by the hosts, South Africa, going head-to-head against India at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. Then at Willowmoore Park B Oval, the UAE will go up against Scotland, followed by Sri Lanka and the USA. 

The top three teams will progress to the Super Six League where the teams from Group A play against two of the teams from Group D, while the same will take place between Group B and Group C. 

"We are delighted that South Africa will be hosting this event," says Chris Tetley

"The ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup is the ultimate finishing school for future female stars of our game and to have 16 teams heading to South Africa for the inaugural event is incredibly exciting for the development of women's cricket which is a strategic priority for the ICC. 

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said

"We are looking forward to seeing the kind of success stories emerge from this event that we have enjoyed in the Men's U19s over the years and it's fantastic to welcome ICC event debutants Indonesia and Rwanda to the world stage and are delighted that South Africa will be hosting this event as well as the senior ICC Women's T20 World Cup shortly thereafter and we wish all the teams the very best in their preparations for the tournament and to Cricket South Africa in organizing the event."

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There will be 16 warm-up matches taking place between 9 and 11 January in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane.

The semi-finals will be played on 27 January, at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom. However, the final will take place at the same location on 29 January.