Barbados Women confirmed to represent West Indies at 2022 Commonwealth Games

The 2019 T20 Blaze winners join the eight-team competition after the postponement of two editions of the competition

Barbados Women have been confirmed to represent West Indies upon cricket's return to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.

Caribbean islands participate at the Games individually meaning only one could take the automatic qualifying berth earned by Windies' position in the ICC T20 rankings.

The T20 Blaze was set to determine which nation would take on the responsibility, but Cricket West Indies have postponed the tournament due to logistical issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and white-ball matches against South Africa.

Thanks to the tournament having also been castled in 2020, Barbados have therefore progressed to the eight-team event due to their 2019 title win, where they join England, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan. The final place will be decided at a qualifying event of which the details have yet to be confirmed.

^{Dottin and Matthews could be Birmingham-bound}

"This is an historic occasion as for the first time Women’s Twenty20 cricket will feature at this prestigious global sporting event, which is a great fillip for our sport and great exposure and opportunity for the players," said CWI chief executive Johnny Grave.

"We wish them all the very best as they compete for the gold medal, and we know they will continue to do West Indies proud."

The news confirms that West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor, who hails from Jamaica, will not participate. Barbadians Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin could feature, however.

Cricket is back as part of the multi-sport event for the first time in 24 years, since a 50-over men's competition was played at Kuala Lumpar in 1998.

It represents the first time a women's cricket competition will have been played at the Games, an appearance the ICC hope will bolster the campaign to have the sport included as part of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

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