Central Europe Cup 2021/22

The Central Europe Cup is an annual international cricket tournament hosted at the Vinoř Cricket Ground in Prague. It stands as a significant development platform for national teams from Central and Eastern Europe, bringing together sides that might otherwise play sporadic friendlies. The competition operates as an invitational round-robin league, where participation is granted by invitation rather than through promotion or relegation pathways.

Since its inception in 2014, the event has evolved significantly in structure and prestige. Initially contested in the traditional 50-over format, the tournament shifted to the Twenty20 (T20) style in 2019. This transition culminated in 2021 when the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted the men's competition official T20 International (T20I) status. This recognition marked a turning point, elevating the stakes for associate nations seeking regular high-quality matches. While the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic and the 2024 men's tournament was not held, the competition continues to schedule future editions, with the next planned for 2025.

Historically, the men's title has been contested fiercely. Poland claimed victories in the early years, while the Czech Republic secured multiple crowns during the T20 era. Austria recently established itself as a dominant force, winning the inaugural T20I edition in 2021 and retaining the title in 2025. A separate Women's Central Europe Cup was introduced later, featuring teams such as Gibraltar and Austria in its T20I seasons.

The tournament also serves a broader regional function. Norway joined the competition in 2025, acting as a bridge between this event and the Nordic Cup, which features exclusively Scandinavian nations. By providing a consistent schedule of T20I cricket, the Central Europe Cup fosters development without the commercial rebranding often seen in larger leagues, offering a focused environment for associate nations to grow.