CA mull big plans for women's World T20

Australia will host the women's World Twenty20 tournament in 2020, with Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland forecasting a sell-out crowd for the final.

Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland is thinking big regarding crowds and venues for the stand-alone women's World Twenty20 in 2020.

The previous four editions of the women's and men's T20 tournaments have been held concurrently.

CA will host both events in four years and recently confirmed they will be split, with the women to take centre stage in February-March and the men to compete in October-November.

Sutherland, buoyed by the success of the inaugural women's Big Bash League (WBBL) season, noted his organisation had big plans for the T20 showpiece.

"We want the final to be played in front of a sell-out crowd," Sutherland said on Monday at a funding announcement focused on women's cricket, Indigenous players and players with a disability.

"Not all matches will be at the bigger stadiums but clearly we'd like to think the Australian women's team at least could play in front of some very big crowds.

"It will be the biggest event going on in the country in February-March, 2020 ... (it will) put them on the platform they deserve to be on."

Star allrounder Ellyse Perry was impressed with the schedule change but also the timing of its confirmation.

"Making the announcement and decision quite early really gives Cricket Australia and the ICC a wonderful opportunity to put in place things that are going to make it a really successful tournament," Perry said.

"It's another sign of the times and where the game has potential to go to."

Sutherland announced a funding boost of more than $5 million per year over three years on Monday, with national women's skipper Meg Lanning terming it an exciting day for the sport.

"It's going to really give more opportunities to girls coming through," Lanning said.

The sponsorship deal comes a week and a half after NSW's cricket side became the first fully professional female team in Australian domestic sport.

"The sky is the limit at the moment and it's probably not worth putting any kind of restrictions on it," Perry said, when asked how much further growth is possible before 2020.

"Steadily progressing like we have been is really important. I don't know where it will end up but it's something special."


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Source: AAP


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CA mull big plans for women's World T20 | SBS News