CWG 2022, Cricket T20: From India to Barbados, a look at all squads, fixtures and format

Cricket is set to mark its return to the Commonwealth Games, with India taking on Australia in the first match of the tournament on July 29 in Birmingham. This will be the first time in history both the T20 format and the women’s game will feature at a Commonwealth Games.

The sport has featured in the CWG only once before – in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1998. Only men’s teams competed back then and the tournament was played in a 50-over format, with every match given a List A status. South Africa emerged as champions, with Australia and New Zealand clinching the silver and bronze medals respectively.

There will be eight teams competing and they have been divided into two groups of four. The matches have been listed as T20 Internationals this time around as per the ICC website (even though Barbados feature and not the West Indies.)

Teams

Group A: India, Australia, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

England qualified as the hosts, five other teams were determined based on the rankings. West Indies, a group of nations that play international cricket, had to determine one country to play in the tournament. While a qualifier event (T20 Blaze) could not take place, Barbados was nominated.

“The 2021 CWI T20 Blaze competition was to be the West Indies qualifying tournament for the Commonwealth Games. Following the postponement, the Barbados Women’s team will be the representative team from the West Indies as a result of their victory in the 2020 CWI T20 Blaze tournament,” the Cricket West Indies statement had said.

The final spot went to Sri Lanka via a qualifying tournament conducted earlier this year where Chamari Athapaththu and Co came through.

Format

Each team will play the other three teams in its group once, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. India, Australia, Pakistan and Barbados make up Group A, while Group B consists of New Zealand, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka.

All 16 matches will be played at the Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham. The matches will begin on July 29, with the final and third-place playoff scheduled for August 7. Barring two days when there will be no match played – August 1 and August 5 – there will be two matches player per day. The first match will begin at 3.30 pm IST and the second at 10.30 pm IST.

Here’s a look at India’s group fixtures for CWG 2022:

Here’s a look at all the fixtures for CWG 2022:

What makes CWG 2022 an exciting tournament for Cricket T20 is the presence of the biggest teams in the game and star names that will grace the stage. With a T20 World Cup on the horizon in South Africa (February 2023), this tournament is set to be a precursor for it.

Here’s a look at all the squads for CWG 2022:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Sabbhineni Meghana, Taniya Sapna Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana.

Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

Barbados: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Shai Carrington, Shaunte Carrington, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Keila Elliott, Trishan Holder, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Alisa Scantlebury, Shakera Selman, Tiffany Thorpe, Aaliyah Williams.

England: Heather Knight (c), Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver, Bryony Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt.

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Claudia Green, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Jess McFadyen, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.

Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Tuba Hassan.

South Africa: Suné Luus (c), Chloé Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Delmi Tucker, Tazmin Brits

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Malsha Shehani, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmi de Silva, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Anushka Sanjeewani.

(Squad list as provided by ICC here.)

The broadcaster for CWG 2022 in India is Sony Sports Network.