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Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 moved from June to February: ICC Update

Ethan Arora · 01/06/2026 · 3 min read

A Major Shift in the Women’s Cricket Calendar

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially confirmed a major adjustment to the global cricketing calendar. The Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 moved from June to February, a decision ratified during the recent ICC quarterly meeting held in Ahmedabad. This inaugural eight-team tournament, which was originally slated to take place during the mid-year window of June and July, will now be held in Sri Lanka from February 14 to 28, 2027.

While the ICC has not provided a specific rationale for this scheduling shift, the news has already prompted discussions regarding international fixtures. As the dates stand, there is a potential for a minor overlap with the upcoming New Zealand tour of Australia, which is scheduled to commence on February 27 and conclude on March 7. Cricket Australia has reportedly been informed of these developments and is currently evaluating how this change might impact their existing bilateral commitments.

Expanding the Horizon: Emerging Nations Trophy

Alongside the scheduling news for the Champions Trophy, the ICC is looking to bolster the development of women’s cricket through the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy. The governing body plans to pilot an expanded 10-team version of this event later this year. The structure will feature a mix of five Full Members and five Associate Members, determined by their respective world rankings. This represents a strategic increase from the previous eight-team format, which was successfully inaugurated last year with Thailand emerging as the champions.

The Road to the 2028 T20 World Cup

The board also utilized the meeting to solidify the qualification pathways for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup. This prestigious event is set to be hosted by Pakistan, though a unique hybrid model will be implemented, allowing India to play their matches at a neutral venue. The qualification process is designed to be highly competitive, with ten of the twelve participating teams securing automatic qualification. This group will consist of the top eight teams from the current tournament in England, the tournament hosts, and the highest-ranked teams in the women’s T20I rankings as of July 6, 2026. The final two spots will be decided through regional qualifiers and a subsequent 10-team global qualifier tournament.

Administrative Oversight and Cricket Canada

In a separate but critical development, the ICC board has suspended Cricket Canada due to what it termed as “serious breaches of its membership obligations.” This action follows reports of persistent governance issues and corruption investigations surrounding the national body over the past 18 months. Despite the suspension, the ICC has emphasized that the welfare of the players remains a priority. In an official statement, the board highlighted that national representative teams will continue to be eligible for ICC events. Furthermore, a controlled funding mechanism has been established to ensure that essential player programmes remain active under the oversight of ICC management. The ICC will provide Canada with specific reinstatement criteria, with a Normalisation Committee tasked with monitoring the board’s progress toward reform.

Addressing Global Governance Challenges

The ICC is also maintaining a proactive stance regarding the administrative health of its members. The body is currently engaging with two Full Member nations that have recently navigated leadership transitions, which have invited scrutiny regarding potential government interference. In Bangladesh, representatives from Cricket South Africa and Zimbabwe Cricket are set to meet with local stakeholders to discuss the BCB electoral process. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, the ICC’s deputy chair, Imran Khwaja, and BCCI official Devajit Saikia have conducted site visits to assess the local administrative landscape. These interventions underscore the ICC’s commitment to maintaining institutional integrity and ensuring that the sport continues to thrive in a fair and transparent environment worldwide.

Ethan Arora

Ethan Arora is a senior editor and long-form cricket writer for ESPNcricinfo. Based in Karachi, he has covered Pakistan cricket and global tournaments for over two decades, contributing to publications such as The Cricket Monthly, Dawn, and The Guardian. His work often explores the intersection of cricket, politics, and culture in South Asia, with a particular focus on fast bowling history, Test cricket narratives, and the internal dynamics of the Pakistan dressing room. Samiuddin is also the editor of The Unquiet Ones: A History of Pakistan Cricket, widely regarded as one of the definitive books on the subject. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, he is known for marrying American long-form journalism techniques with the rich oral traditions of the subcontinent. Follow him for sharp match analysis, player profiles, and behind-the-scenes features from ICC events and Pakistan Super League coverage.