Last updated on .From the section Women's Cricket

Cricket's world governing body has submitted a bid for women's Twenty20 cricket to be included at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will make its presentation - in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - to an assessment panel early next month.

"We would like cricket to lead the way in the Commonwealth in inspiring more young girls to take up sport regardless of their background or culture," said ICC chief executive David Richardson. external-link

Cricket has been part of the Commonwealth Games once before - South Africa winning a men's 50-overs-a-side competition in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Richardson said Birmingham was the "perfect place" for it to return as "23% of the city's residents have links to cricket-playing nations outside the United Kingdom".

"If cricket were to be staged in these Games, we know every team competing would be guaranteed 'home' support," he said. "There's a ready-made audience and ready-made infrastructure in the local vicinity."

England were beaten by Australia in the final of the recent Women's World T20 in the West Indies, and the ECB's women's cricket boss Clare Connor believes the game is "on the eve of something special".

England captain Heather Knight said: "It's hugely exciting that women's cricket is bidding to become part of the Commonwealth Games."