Johannesburg, Aug 22 (IANS): Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Paarl and Cape Town on Monday were announced as host cities for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa from February 10-26 next year. Before that, Benoni and Potchefstroom will be playing hosts to the inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup in January 2023.

In November 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had announced that the women's T20 World Cup had been postponed from November 2022 to February 2023. Australia will enter the competition as defending champions.

The eighth edition of the Women's T20 World Cup will be the first time South Africa will host the event after playing hosts to the inaugural edition of the Men's T20 World Cup in 2027.

The Newlands in Cape Town last hosted the semifinal of the Men's T20 World Cup in 2007, while St. George's Park in Gqeberha and Boland Park in Paarl will host their first major ICC event matches since the 2003 Men's Cricket World Cup.

"We're thrilled to announce the three cities to host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The Eastern and Western Cape are prime cricket and tourist locations with great facilities and infrastructure. We have no doubt that these venues will step up to make this a memorable and uniquely African celebration of cricket for the local and international fans attending the event," said Russell Adams, Tournament Director.

South Africa (by the virtue of being hosts), Australia, India, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies have been confirmed for the event showpiece. The two remaining teams will be decided from the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September 2022.

Meanwhile, Benoni and Potchefstroom have been chosen as the two host cities for the first-ever U19 Women's T20 World Cup. Promising to showcase the future stars of the sport are Benoni and Potchefstroom were the host cities during the U19 Men's Cricket World Cup in 2020.

"This is a special time for women's cricket in South Africa, we are excited to be the host of the inaugural U19 Women's T20 World Cup and look forward to the spotlight focusing on the world's best cricketers. We hope all the players taking part will enjoy their time on the big stage and more young girls will pick up the bat and ball to play the game," said Sivuyile Mqingwana, U19 Women's T20 World Cup Tournament Director.

The U19 Women's T20 World Cup will see teams like hosts South Africa, Australia, India, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, United States of America, Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and the Netherlands participate in the event.

There is one remaining place available to qualify for the 16-team event which will be confirmed in September following the conclusion of the Africa Qualifier.

"We are delighted to announce the host cities for both women's events taking place in South Africa in early 2023. It is a very exciting time for women's cricket with the first U19 T20 World Cup showcasing the future stars of our sport and the next edition of the ultimate prize in the T20 format."

"I have no doubt the host venues identified across both events will provide the best platform to deliver two unforgettable World Cups and another significant milestone for women's sport," said Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events.