Australia will host two World Cups in 2020, following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) announcement to rename the ICC World T20 as the ICC T20 World Cup.
The ICC announcement comes after Australia’s T20 women’s team won their fourth world title by defeating England by eight wickets in the World T20 final at Antigua today.
“Young boys and girls in Australia have a great opportunity to see the world’s best right here at home, including our championship winning Southern Stars,” the Minister for Sport, Senator Bridget McKenzie said.
For the first time, the ICC Women’s and Men’s T20 World Cups will be held as separate events in the same country when Australia plays host in 2020.
The Minister applauded the ICC decision to approve Cricket Australia’s bid to split the men’s and women’s tournaments at the ICC T20 World Cup 2020.
“Playing each tournament as a standalone fixture allows sports fans to see the world’s best female and male T20 cricketers over a longer period of time,” Minister McKenzie said.
“It also means each tournament will be the main focus of fans from Australia and around the world, rather than competing against each other for crowds and media coverage.
Both tournaments will be spread across Australia with matches to be played in Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
“With more than 100,000 international fans expected to attend, Australia is set to reap the economic benefits. For a regional city like Geelong, hosting matches will provide a welcome boost to its local economy,” Minister McKenzie said.
“The influx of overseas guests will also create cultural, diplomatic and community opportunities for our country, and continue to showcase Australia as a world leader in hosting major international sporting events.”
The Women’s World Cup from February 21 to March 8, 2020, will bring the world’s 10 best women’s teams to Australia to play 23 matches. A world record crowd for women’s sport is expected at the final on International Women’s Day 2020 (Sunday, March 8) at the MCG.
“I am particularly pleased that Australia is hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup as a standalone event because it provides an opportunity to continue to improve attitudes towards gender equality in sport,” the Minister said.
“It will also raise the profile of women’s sport and drive increased participation in sport by girls and women.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 will run from October 18 to November 15, 2020, involving 45 matches featuring the world’s best 16 men’s teams.
“Representing your country in a World Cup is a huge honour, and winning the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 on home soil was an incredible feeling. Now, we get the chance to take on the world’s best T20 teams in Australia as part of this showcase event,” Australian men’s captain Aaron Finch said.
“There’s still plenty of preparation ahead for the tournament, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and playing in front of our fans in Australia.”
The Australian Government welcomed the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 and looks forward to continuing its partnership with Cricket Australia and the Local Organising Committee to deliver a world class, safe and successful event.
“As a self-confessed sports fan, I can’t wait to see these outstanding cricketers in action. Bring on 2020,” Minister McKenzie said.
