{{short description|International cricket tournament}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox cricket tournament main | name = ICC Women's Championship | image = | imagesize = | caption = | administrator = [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC) | cricket format = [[Women's One Day International]] | first = [[2014–2016 ICC Women's Championship|2014–16]] | last = [[2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship|2022–25]] | next = [[2025–2029 ICC Women's Championship|2025–29]] | participants = 11 | champions = {{crw|AUS}} (3rd title) | most successful = {{cr|AUS}} (3 titles) }} {{Season sidebar | title = Tournaments | list = * [[2014–2016 ICC Women's Championship|2014–2016]] * [[2017–2020 ICC Women's Championship|2017–2020]] * [[2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship|2022–2025]] * [[2025–2029 ICC Women's Championship|2025–2029]] }} {{International cricket competitions sidebar}} The '''ICC Women's Championship''' (IWC) is an international [[cricket]] tournament used to determine qualification for the [[Women's Cricket World Cup]].<ref name="ICC">{{cite web |url=http://www.icc-cricket.com/womens-championship |title=About the ICC Women's Championship |access-date=30 June 2015 |work=International Cricket Council |archive-date=30 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630103408/http://www.icc-cricket.com/womens-championship |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first two tournaments were contested between the top eight teams of the [[Women's cricket#Rankings|ICC Women's Rankings]]. The first edition was the [[2014–16 ICC Women's Championship]], which started in April 2014 and was concluded in November 2016. [[Australia women's national cricket team|Australia]] were the winners of the inaugural tournament.<ref name="Aus1st">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/17839442/australia-win-women-championship-qualify-world-cup |title=Australia win Women's Championship, qualify for World Cup |access-date=28 September 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> The [[2017–20 ICC Women's Championship|second edition]] of the tournament started in October 2017, with the top four teams automatically qualifying for the [[2021 Women's Cricket World Cup]].<ref name="second">{{cite web |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/378363 |title=Revised financial model passed and new constitution agreed upon |access-date=27 April 2017 |work=International Cricket Council}}</ref>
In September 2018, the [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC) announced that they were exploring the option to expand the IWC to all ten teams, therefore including [[Bangladesh women's national cricket team|Bangladesh]] and [[Ireland women's cricket team|Ireland]] in future editions of the competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/24789619/bangladesh-ireland-feature-next-women-championship-cycle |title=Bangladesh, Ireland could feature in next Women's Championship cycle |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/bangladesh-cricket/news/tigresses-could-feature-next-womens-championship-cycle-1638472 |title=Tigresses could feature in next Women's Championship cycle |work=The Daily Star (Bangladesh) |date=25 September 2018 |access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref> In August 2021, the ICC confirmed that the three qualifiers from the [[2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier]] tournament and the next two best placed teams would qualify for the next IWC cycle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/2223744 |title=Zimbabwe to host ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/women-s-odi-world-cup-qualifier-shifted-from-sri-lanka-to-zimbabwe-to-begin-in-november-1274059 |title=Women's ODI World Cup qualifier shifted from Sri Lanka to Zimbabwe; to begin in November |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref> However, in November 2021, the qualifier tournament was called off midway through,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/womens-world-cup-qualifier-2021-22-in-zimbabwe-called-off-following-concerns-over-new-covid-19-variant-1291300 |title=Women's World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe called off following concerns over new Covid-19 variant |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=27 November 2021}}</ref> due to the discovery of a [[SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant|new variant]] of [[COVID-19]] in Southern Africa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-qualifier-called-off-due-to-new-covid-19-variant |title=ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier called off; Bangladesh, Pakistan, West Indies to qualify for New Zealand 2022 |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=27 November 2021 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127121853/https://www.womenscriczone.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-qualifier-called-off-due-to-new-covid-19-variant |url-status=dead }}</ref> Therefore, Bangladesh and Ireland joined the IWC for the [[2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship|2022–25 cycle]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/2372451 |title=ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 called off |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=27 November 2021}}</ref> based on their [[ICC Women's ODI and T20I rankings|ODI rankings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2372416 |title=ICC Women's CWC Qualifier in Zimbabwe abandoned amid Covid-related uncertainty |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=27 November 2021}}</ref>
In August 2024, the ICC announced that [[Zimbabwe women's national cricket team|Zimbabwe]] will be included in the [[2025–2029 ICC Women's Championship|2025–2029 cycle]] of the Championship.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 August 2024 |title=Zimbabwe to be included in ICC Women’s ODI Championship |url=https://femalecricket.com/women-cricket-news/50982-zimbabwe-to-be-included-in-icc-womens-odi-championship.html |work=Female Cricket |access-date=September 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/blockbuster-women-s-future-tours-programme-ftp-announced-for-2025-29 |title=Blockbuster Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) announced for 2025-29 |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=4 November 2024}}</ref>
==Tournament history== ===Season=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Teams ! Winners ! Also qualified directly to World Cup ! Advanced to World Cup Qualifier |- style="background:#ddeeff" | [[2014–2016 ICC Women's Championship|2014–16]] | 8 | {{crw|AUS}} | {{crw|ENG}}, {{crw|NZ}}, {{crw|WIN}} | {{crw|IND}}, {{crw|SA}}, {{crw|PAK}}, {{crw|SL}} |- | {{nobr|[[2017–2020 ICC Women's Championship|2017–20]]}} | 8 | {{crw|AUS}} | {{crw|ENG}}, {{crw|SA}}, {{crw|IND}}, {{crw|NZ}} | {{crw|PAK}}, {{crw|WIN}}, {{crw|SL}} |- style="background:#ddeeff" | [[2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship|2022–25]] | 10 | {{crw|AUS}} | {{crw|IND}}, {{crw|ENG}}, {{crw|SA}}, {{crw|SL}},<br/> {{crw|NZ}} | {{crw|BAN}}, {{crw|WIN}}, {{crw|PAK}}, {{crw|IRE}} |- | [[2025–2029 ICC Women's Championship|2025–29]] | 11 | | | |}
===Teams=== {|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;" |- !Team ![[2014–2016 ICC Women's Championship|2014–16]]<br>(8) ![[2017–2020 ICC Women's Championship|2017–20]]<br>(8) ![[2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship|2022–25]]<br>(10) ![[2025–2029 ICC Women's Championship|2025–29]]<br>(11) !Apps. |- | align=left| {{crw|AUS}} | colspan=3 bgcolor=gold|'''W''' || Q || '''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|BAN}} | colspan=2 {{no|DNP}} || 7th | Q ||'''2''' |- | align=left| {{crw|ENG}} | colspan=2 bgcolor=silver|'''RU''' || bgcolor=#c96|'''3rd''' | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|IND}} | 5th || 4th || bgcolor=silver|'''2nd''' | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|IRE}} | colspan=2 {{no|DNP}} || 10th | Q ||'''2''' |- | align=left| {{crw|NZL}} | bgcolor=#c96|'''3rd''' || colspan=2 |6th | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|PAK}} | 7th || 5th || 9th | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|RSA}} |6th ||bgcolor=#c96|'''3rd'''|| 4th | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|SL}} | colspan=2|8th || 5th | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|WIN}} | 4th || 7th || 8th | Q ||'''4''' |- | align=left| {{crw|ZIM}} | colspan="3" {{no|DNP}} | Q||'''1''' |- |}
'''Key:''' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |bgcolor=gold|'''W''' |align="left"|Winner |- |bgcolor=silver|'''RU''' |align="left"|Runners-up |- |bgcolor=#cc9966|'''3rd''' |align="left"|3rd Place |- | style="text-align: center;" |Q |align="left"| Qualified |- | {{no|DNP}} |align="left"| Did not play |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{International women's cricket}} {{2014–16 ICC Women's Championship}} {{2017–20 ICC Women's Championship}} {{2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship}} {{International cricket}}
[[Category:ICC Women's Championship| ]] [[Category:Women's international cricket]] [[Category:Women's world championships|ICC Women's Championship]] [[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2014]] [[Category:International Cricket Council events]] [[Category:Women's One Day International cricket competitions]]