ICC Board has approved the introduction of an International Women's Championship, wherein bi-lateral competition involving the top eight ranked teams will determine qualification for the next Women's World Cup. 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, with the top teams qualifying automatically for the ICC Women's World Cup in 2017.