Women World Cup qualifiers from today

London: The Indian women's cricket team will take on England here in the opening round of the inaugural ICC Championships from Thursday, a top-four finish in which will give the side a place in the 2017 World Cup.

The Championship will also see Australia host Pakistan in a multi-year, bilateral qualifying competition to the pinnacle event in women's cricket, the ICC Women's World Cup England 2017.

Reigning world champion Australia will face Pakistan in a three match One-Day series in Brisbane, while three-time winners England will play India for at Scarborough and Lord's.

The concept, proposed by the ICC Women's Committee and approved by the ICC Board in its January meeting, is aimed at creating more extensive and meaningful bilateral playing programme for women's cricket.

Other competing countries include New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The tournament structure will see teams play each other in one home or away series that will include three ODIs over a two and a half year period. As such, each side is guaranteed at least 21 ODIs over the tournament period.

England captain Charlotte Edwards is excited to be leading her team in one of the first fixtures of the new tournament.
"As players, the new ICC Women's Championship is a fantastic concept," she said, adding, "It gives us real structure leading into the ICC Women's World Cup in England in 2017, and makes every ODI series that we play between now and then significant.