The UAE womenโs cricket team has formally gained One Day International (ODI) status, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) definite five junior nations in the 2025โ2029 womenโs ODI cycle.
Beside the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Scotland have also been given or booked ODI status.
This addition brings the total number of womenโs teams with ODI status to 16, marks a significant moment for global womenโs cricket, especially among developing teams.
The UAE held their status following the latest annual ICC rankings update, where they ranked 16th in the Womenโs T20I rankings, passing the United States of America.
The USA, having failed to meet the essential principles, lost their ODI status fast of the new cycle.
Per ICC rules, teams must play at least eight ODIs during the three- to four-year period to gain or maintain their ODI ranking.
The UAEโs current performances have not only shown constancy but have also featured their growing presence in international womenโs cricket.
Presently, the UAE womenโs team is participating in a T20I quadrangular series in Bangkok, featuring borders from Hong Kong, Kuwait, and Thailand.
They started the series with an inspiring win over Hong Kong and are now set to face Kuwait in their next feature.
Temporarily, Thailand and Scotland earned their ODI status after opposing in the 2026 ODI World Cup Qualifiers held in Pakistan.
PNG and the Netherlands retained their ODI authorizations based on their standing in the ICC T20I rankings, with PNG at 13th and the Netherlands at 15th.
While the USA womenโs team presently leads a two-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, their new lack of consistent fixtures and results price them a place in the upcoming cycle.
The promotion of UAE women into the ODI ranks marks a major stage forward for cricket growth in the Gulf area.
