The ICC Board has approved the introduction of an International Women's Championship. The tournament involving the top eight ranked women's teams will determine qualification for the next Women's World Cup. <br/><br/>The Competing countries will include Australia, West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and Pakistan. Each team will play the others in a series of matches between mid-2014 and the end of 2016. The top teams will qualify automatically for the ICC Women's World Cup in 2017 in England.<br/><br/>At a press conference in Dubai, the ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said this is a very positive step for the profile and competitiveness of women's cricket. He told that the move would guarantees a more regular ODI cricket for a broader group of nations than ever before. <br/><br/>The bottom countries at the end of the International Women's Championship will be joined by a number of teams from the ICC's regional qualification. They will play in an ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier which will determine the final list of participants at the Women's World Cup Cricket Championship in England in 2017.