The International Cricket Council hopes that the final of the 2020 women’s WorldT20 tournament in Australia will set a record attendance for a female sporting event after the venues for the tournament were confirmed today (Tuesday).
In a first for the World T20, the men’s and women’s editions of the tournament will be held as standalone events in the same host country and in the same year.
The men’s event will run from October 18 to November 15, 2020. The tournament will be preceded by the women’s competition, which begins on February 21 and concludes on March 8 – International Women’s Day – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (pictured).
The stadium has a capacity of 100,000 and a full crowd would set a record for a women’s sporting event. The current record is for 90,185 – set for the final of football’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999. That match took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
In total, eight cities have been selected to host matches during Australia’s WorldT20: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The women’s competition will feature 10 teams, with the men’s tournament to comprise 16 teams.
Thirteen venues will host matches, including the recently-opened Optus Stadium in Perth. The 60,000-seat venue made its cricket debut on Sunday when staging the one-day international between England and Australia, but it will not stage any latter-stage matches during the World T20.
The MCG will host the men’s and women’s finals, while the Sydney Cricket Ground will stage both women’s semi-finals and one men’s semi-final. The second men’s semi-final will be held at the Adelaide Oval.
Local Organising Committee chief executive, Nick Hockley said: “Australia is a sporting nation, with diverse and passionate fans who love cricket. We’ve designed ICC World T20, comprising standalone women’s and men’s events, to be more inclusive, more accessible and more connected than ever before, so that everyone can join in.”
Image: PaddyBriggs
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