Login
In a major milestone for women's cricket, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially replaced the United States of America (USA) in the list of ICC Women's One Day International (ODI) status holders for the 2025–29 cycle.
The UAE women's team was granted ODI status based on their strong position in the ICC T20I rankings, where they held the 16th spot at the time of the annual update.
The decision is part of the ICC's new rules which is now more closely linked to T20I rankings and overall team development, rather than participation alone in ICC qualifiers. A major factor in this improvement was the UAE's hard work and the development of UAE infrastructure under the Emirates Cricket Board of women.
In contrast, the USA women's team lost its ODI status due to a decline in performance and a failure to maintain a position within the top 16 of the ICC T20I rankings. Having ODI status of the USA team for the 2021–2025 cycle, but in the international tournaments the team struggled to maintain consistent performance.
The exclusion is the result of the ICC's new framework, which gives value to rankings and performance. The purpose of this modification was to boost competition and guarantee that the team would be chosen based on only merit.
With this change, the list of associate nations holding women's ODI status now includes:
Thailand
Netherlands
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Scotland
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Thailand and Scotland secured their spots through their performances in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, while the Netherlands and PNG retained theirs based on T20I ranking performance. UAE now joins this exclusive list of the world related to women's cricket and marking a new chapter for the region.
The ODI status brings with it several key benefits:
The UAE can now play with other countries officially because of this the status which UAE achieved.
Their matches will count toward ICC team rankings
It opens pathways to global events like the Women's World Cup
Increased funding, exposure, and development opportunities for players and coaches
The Emirates Cricket Board referred to this achievement as a "significant step" and expressed pride and hope for the better future.
Everyone will be watching the UAE women's squad to see how they take advantage of this opportunity as the 2025–29 cycle gets started. The UAE has the ability to establish itself internationally due to increased access to elite cricket, and developing local talent.
Meanwhile, this should serve as a wake-up call for USA cricket, emphasizing the need for stronger grassroots investment and strategic planning if they aim to reclaim their place among the top-tier associate nations.
The ICC's decision to grant UAE women's ODI status instead of the USA is a merit-based and performance-driven strategy that rewards hard work and consistency. The UAE considers it as a proud occasion.
