![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sport-for-Business-Cricket-World-Cup-2026.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\nIreland will step into one of the most ambitious global showcases yet staged for women\u2019s sport when the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway in England and Wales this week.<\/p>\n
The tournament opens on Friday, June 12th, with England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, before 12 teams, including Ireland, compete across Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Southampton, Bristol and London, culminating in the final at Lord\u2019s.<\/p>\n
For Ireland captain Gaby Lewis and her squad, the proximity of the event offers the prospect of something rare at a World Cup: a strong travelling Irish support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup is in England this year is a really exciting prospect,\u201d said Lewis.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving the competition so close to home is going to be really special, and it will be great to see as many fans as possible at all of the matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften, when you play at World Cups, they are further afield and it\u2019s the hosts or the opposition that brings the fans to the stadiums. So, on this occasion, it will be nice to have a lot of Irish people travelling and a lot of young kids and girls supporting, who I hope have ambitions to one day play for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a statement that captures the Irish opportunity within what the ICC is positioning as the biggest women\u2019s sporting event ever, not just in terms of attendance, but in digital engagement, accessibility and global reach.<\/p>\n
There is an Irish commercial connection to the tournament as well, with SSE Airtricity\u2019s sponsorship of the tournament placing one of the best-known brands in the Irish energy and sponsorship landscape alongside one of the biggest global events in women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n
Launch<\/p>\n
The tournament was launched in spectacular fashion this week when London\u2019s Waterloo Bridge was transformed into a live cricket pitch for the first time in its history. Captains from all 12 participating nations stepped from a double-decker bus onto a purpose-built pitch above the River Thames, with Big Ben, St Paul\u2019s Cathedral and the London Eye providing the backdrop.<\/p>\n
The activation, described as a Captain\u2019s Carnival, brought together players, fans, young participants, performers, creators and digital influencers in a high-profile statement of intent around the growth of the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
Ireland were among the 12 nations represented alongside England, India, Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.<\/p>\n
With ticket sales already around 200,000 before the tournament begins, the ICC says the event has comfortably surpassed previous Women\u2019s T20 World Cup benchmarks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a landmark moment for women\u2019s cricket and a fitting way to launch what we believe will be the most exciting and ambitious ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup ever staged,\u201d said Jay Shah, ICC Chairman.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event is another expression of the ICC\u2019s commitment and belief linked to the agenda of building a more inclusive, global game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The scale of that ambition is most clearly seen in the digital plans around the tournament.<\/p>\n
For the first time in the history of the Women\u2019s T20 World Cup, ICC.tv coverage will be available in nine languages globally: English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Japanese, Thai, Dutch, Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Every match will be streamed in English and Hindi, with additional language coverage for marquee fixtures and specific audiences, including Urdu for Pakistan matches and Bengali for Bangladesh fixtures.<\/p>\n
All games will be free to air in more than 80 territories on ICC.tv and, in another first for an ICC Women\u2019s event, will also be shown on the ICC\u2019s official YouTube and Facebook channels. Live radio commentary of every match, produced by the BBC, will be available globally through the ICC App.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ambition<\/p>\n
\u201cOur ambition for the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 is to make it the biggest women\u2019s sporting event ever,\u201d said Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to design the event as an aggregate of fan-focused experiences serving as a platform for creativity, commerce, community and culture. From attention-grabbing activations to immersive experiences aimed at deepening affiliation, there is something relevant for every fan journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
That fan journey will extend well beyond match coverage.<\/p>\n
The ICC Creator Programme, which debuted during the Men\u2019s T20 World Cup earlier this year, will return for the women\u2019s event, giving global content creators access to exclusive events, behind-the-scenes experiences and matchday activity.<\/p>\n
The ICC Insights AI-powered companion will also return through the ICC App, enhanced with expanded women\u2019s cricket data and analysis, and featuring the voice of former World Cup winner and broadcaster Isa Guha.<\/p>\n
There is a gaming element too, with the launch of \u2018Catch the Spirit\u2019 on Roblox, placing players inside a branded ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup stadium where they can compete in fast-paced catching challenges and unlock tournament-themed rewards.<\/p>\n
The Aramco Fan Vote Player of the Match will also allow supporters to vote through the ICC App for the player they believe had the greatest impact on each game.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur preparation has been great,\u201d added Lewis.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur tri-series against Pakistan and the West Indies here at home was fantastic preparation for the girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has obviously been a change in the squad, with Laura Delany going to be a big miss, but it is excellent that we have been able to bring in someone like Alice Tector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of players to look out for in our squad, and we\u2019ve got some great youngsters. Aimee Maguire has been brilliant for us over the last couple of years, and you can\u2019t pass over the likes of Orla Prendergast and Amy Hunter as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t rely on one or two players though; we\u2019ve got a real group of match-winners. There\u2019ll be a lot of players putting their hands up in this World Cup and winning games.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also pointed to the development curve of the squad over recent years, noting that many Irish players are learning at international level due to the limited domestic structures compared with larger cricket nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur average age is quite young, but I think every year that gets said, it\u2019s actually getting higher and higher,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more experienced the girls get, the better they are at international cricket. We don\u2019t have a major provincial setup that they come through, so they\u2019re learning a lot at international level. The more games they play, the more they learn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve come a long way in the last two years, and hopefully we can build on the last World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is also a wider context around the growing commercial and cultural value of women\u2019s cricket. Increased prize money has been welcomed by players, while the scale of the ICC\u2019s activation points to a sport increasingly confident in its ability to reach beyond traditional audiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe increased prize money for the tournament is great too,\u201d said Lewis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more investment into the women\u2019s game, the better. It\u2019s striving to be as close to the men\u2019s game as possible, and it\u2019s great to see these financial increases.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut most importantly, our focus is on winning games of cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPORT-FOR-BUSINESS-THE-BUSINESS-OF-FOOTBALL-6.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport,\u00a0email us today<\/a>\u00a0and let\u2019s see what is possible.<\/p>\n Image Credit: ICC<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS<\/p>\n Sport for Business is Ireland\u2019s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights. <\/p>\n Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.<\/p>\n Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practice and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland\u2019s social and economic fabric.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SfB-square-logo.jpg\"\/){kind=logo}
<\/a>Cricket Ireland is a full member of Sport for Business.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sport-for-Business-membership-Benefits.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/MEMBERSHIP-BLOCKS-June-2026.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ireland will step into one of the most ambitious global showcases yet staged for women\u2019s sport when the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495535,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-495534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}