ISLAMABAD: International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in Pakistan, but India will play all its matches at a neutral venue, following the model used for men’s events when the two nations host major tournaments.
ICC concluded its Board meetings in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday, announcing a series of decisions aimed at strengthening governance, supporting women’s cricket, enhancing global competition structures, and fostering innovation in the game.
The 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup was to be held in Pakistan. India will play its games in a neutral venue, the ICC has confirmed.
Other women’s cricket changes announced following the board meeting in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/J2moUglG2L
— Lavanya 🎙️🎥👩🏻💻 (@lav_narayanan) June 1, 2026
The ICC Board approved several recommendations from the Chief Executives Committee, including:
- Pink-ball trials: Teams can mutually agree to use a pink ball in Test matches to maximize play during anticipated bad light.
- Lighting research: The ICC will co-fund R&D with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to improve lighting technology for match officials and venues.
- Bowling action monitoring: Match officials can now access Hawk-Eye data when considering reporting an illegal bowling action.
- Playing condition updates: Head coaches or their designees may consult teams during scheduled drinks intervals; a mandatory 15-minute interval in T20I matches has been introduced; batters must be ready at the resumption of play.
- Leg-side wides: Permanent adoption of the leg-side wides trial.
- MCC Law changes: All remaining changes will be adopted effective October 1, 2026.
- Official Cricket classification: Teams in the CWC Challenge League remain eligible to play other List A limited-overs matches during each tournament cycle.
Big decisions after the ICC Board meeting in Ahmedabad.
Details ⬇️https://t.co/JvTRR94Dsz
— ICC (@ICC) June 1, 2026
Women’s cricket
ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027: The tournament window has been moved from June-July to February 14–28, 2027.
ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026: A 10-team pilot event will feature five Full Members and five Associate Members, selected based on rankings and prior T20 World Cup qualification.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028, Qualification pathway: The Board endorsed the pathway for the tournament to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with India matches played at a neutral venue. Key details include:
- A 12-team tournament.
- Automatic qualification for 10 teams: the top eight from the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, the host (Pakistan, if not already qualified), and the next highest-ranked teams on the ICC Women’s T20I rankings as of July 6, 2026.
- The remaining two teams will be determined through a 10-team Global Qualifier underpinned by Regional Qualifiers.
Associate Members
The ICC Board approved a Global Qualifier for ICC Men’s T20 World Cups. Management will finalise a competition structure and qualification pathway for a 16-team Global Qualifier, to be presented at the next ICC meetings.
After a series of controversies and allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Cricket Canada’s membership.https://t.co/CXXxaVJtV8
— Gurpreet S. Sahota (@GurpreetSSahota) June 1, 2026
Membership status
Cricket Canada: The ICC Board suspended Cricket Canada with immediate effect due to serious breaches of membership obligations. However, Canadian national teams will continue to participate in ICC events, and funding will be provided through a controlled mechanism. Reinstatement conditions will be monitored by an ICC Normalisation Committee.
Bangladesh & Sri Lanka: Two ICC Board representatives will visit Bangladesh to engage stakeholders on the BCB electoral process. Meanwhile, ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja and Devajit Saikia have visited Sri Lanka to assess ongoing developments.
Franchise Cricket Oversight: The Board expressed concern over the growing expanse of franchise cricket and resolved to form a committee to assess harmonisation between franchise cricket and the international calendar.
ICC Chairman Mr. Jay Shah said: “Our discussions in Ahmedabad have reinforced the ICC’s commitment to governance, administration and the growth of cricket globally. From women’s cricket and emerging nations to the management of franchise competitions, today’s discussions and decisions aim to ensure that cricket remains fair, competitive, and exciting for fans worldwide.”
