Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Qualifiers 2021/22

The Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Qualifiers served as a decisive pathway to the multi-sport event, established specifically for the Birmingham Games in 2022. Organised jointly by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the tournament offered a single opportunity for nations outside the top-six world ranking to compete for the final place in the field.

The competition unfolded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, over six days in January 2022. Five teams entered the fray: Sri Lanka Women, Bangladesh Women, Scotland Women, Kenya Women, and Malaysia Women. The structure relied on a single round-robin format, ensuring every participant faced one another once. Each team played four matches, with the outcome determining the sole survivor. This victor would join the six teams already qualified via ICC T20I rankings—Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and host nation England.

Sri Lanka Women claimed the title, finishing top of the table with eight points. Their victory was sealed in the decisive final match against Bangladesh Women, whom they defeated by 22 runs. Bangladesh finished second on six points. Key performances defined the campaign, with Nahida Akter of Bangladesh taking the most wickets in the tournament. Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka provided crucial batting support for the champions throughout the series.

This edition marked the debut of the women’s cricket qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. The event was unique in its scope, promoting only one team to a smaller field compared to global championships. Cricket was subsequently removed from the 2026 Commonwealth Games programme, making the 2022 qualifier the first and only instance of this specific tournament. While the men’s tournament had existed previously in 1998 and 2022, this female counterpart was a new addition to the sporting calendar. The format ensured a direct and immediate contest for the remaining spot, avoiding the extended elimination processes seen in other international cricket competitions.