Mumbai, September 5: Zimbabwe and Namibia have secured spots in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier, set to be held in Nepal early next year. The ten-team tournament will determine the final four spots for the expanded 2026 Women's T20 World Cup in England. Neither Zimbabwe nor Namibia have previously qualified for a women's cricket World Cup in any format. Their progression to the global qualifiers makes for a huge moment in the development of women's cricket in the African region. Australia Announce ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Squad With Fun Clip Featuring Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Others (Watch Video).

Zimbabwe booked their place with a five-wicket win over Uganda in the first semi-final of the Africa Region Division One Qualifier. Zimbabwe were in a spot of bother at 86/4 in the 16th over, but eventually romped home with 14 balls to spare. It was followed by Namibia defeating Tanzania by eight wickets in the second semi-final.

Zimbabwe and Namibia will meet in the regional final at the Namibia Cricket Ground on September 6. They now join Bangladesh, Ireland, Thailand, Nepal and the United States, who have already confirmed their participation in the global qualifying tournament. The remaining three teams will be decided through regional qualifiers - two from Europe and one from the East Asia-Pacific region.

The Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier will run from January 12 to February 2, with matches to be held at the Lower and Upper Mulpani Cricket Stadiums in Kathmandu. Ten teams will be split into two groups of five each, with the top six advancing to the Super Six stage before the final. Australia Squad for ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Announced: Sophie Molineux Returns, Alyssa Healy to Lead Defending Champions.

The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup will feature 12 teams for the first time, up from ten sides in the last edition of the competition in 2024. New Zealand are the defending champions, having defeated South Africa in last year’s final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2025 02:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).