Nick Hockley will perhaps be the happiest man when the ICC Women’s T20 world cup opens on Friday at the Sydney Showground Stadium.
The ICC T20 chief executive has been preparing for this moment for almost six years.
“Australia was awarded the T20 world cup back in 2014. We hosted the men’s 50 over WC in 2015. So, really we started thinking about it 2016. And the really important moment was going over, watching the last T20 in India in 2016,” he said.
Highlights:
- The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 starts on 21st February 2020.
- The first match of the tournament will be played between hosts and defending champions Australia and India.
- The 10 best women's teams will compete in 23 matches from 21 February – 8 March 2020.
The Sydney Showground Stadium is all set to host the opening match of ICC Women’s T20 world cup between India and Australia, a competition many are excited about.
Mr Hockley says Australia versus India is emerging as one of the great rivalries.
“I remember back in England seeing Harmanpreet Kaur hit a magnificent hundred to make it to that WC final against the Australians. And, obviously, the tri-series has been very-very competitive that we have just seen, so I think it will be a very-very competitive match.” Mr Hockley told SBS Hindi.
On Friday night at Sydney Olympic Park, T20 world cup will open with a colourful ceremony and welcome to all the teams before the first match.
The ceremony is going to feature four of Australia’s best music artists performing just before the teams take the field.
Singer Vera Blue (Celia Pavey) will be joined by First Nations performer Mitch Tambo, DJ Dena Amy and Indian-born musician Harts (Darren Hart) to perform on the opening night.
For the first time, the women’s event has been organised as a standalone event. Mr Hockely says it was decided after the 2016 T20 world cup in India.
He said, “If you remember the women’s and men’s competitions were played at the same time. But, we looked at that model. The women’s events were played in the afternoon and men’s in the evening. It was more like a curtain-raiser. So, we decided in late 2016 to play the women T20 WC as a standalone event. That way you can play in the evenings after people finish school and work. And, it can be a major world event in its own right.”
The overall theme of this event is ‘Welcome to the Big Dance’.
Hockley says we really wanted it to be a celebration and a real festival.
“Sport unites people across different cultures and certainly the T20 cricket being the format of the game that appeals to the people of all ages and includes a lot of entertainment and music.”
“People can expect very best in T20 presentation and sports entertainment. There will be face painting, all different types of foods, music, dancing and some fantastic world-class cricket.”
The final of the tournament will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 8th March, the international women’s day, where American pop star Katy Perry would perform.
Timing is everything in cricket, and you know as we have looked at the schedule, and with international women’s day falling on a Sunday and with the growth of the game globally, we feel this can be real moment in time where really T20 cricket and cricket for women and girls come of age on the world stage. It’s about to send a very powerful message to little girls and also boys, whoever you are, wherever you are from if you follow your dreams you can achieve anything,” says Mr Hockley.
