As the dust settles from the recently-concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, the world now looks to Australia, who aim to defend their title on home soil.

Seven host cities have been announced for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, with the tournament beginning on October 16 and ending with a final at the MCG under lights on November 13.

45 matches will be hosted across the venues in Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The semi-finals will be hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval on 9 and 10 November respectively.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 champions Australia and runner-up New Zealand, plus Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, and South Africa as the next highest-ranked teams, gain direct entry into the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies join the tournament through the First Round phase, with the final four spots for the tournament filled via two qualifying tournaments: one in Oman in February, and one in Zimbabwe in June and July.

“With 12 teams already confirmed in the line-up, we eagerly await the culmination of the qualification process to see which other teams will join them,” Head of Events Chris Tetley stated.

“We are looking forward to seeing the return of ICC events to Australia and are delighted to announce the seven host cities for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. Following the success of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 and a two-year postponement, our sights are now firmly set on planning for the 2022 event in collaboration with the Local Organising Committee.”