Bermuda will begin their quest to qualify for the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup on home turf next summer.

The Bermuda Cricket Board announced on Monday that the island has been granted hosting rights for the T20 World Cup Americas Sub-Regional Qualifier, which will be held at the National Sports Centre from June 19 to 28, 2026.

Bermuda will be favourites to win group A, which also includes Bahamas, Belize, Brazil and Panama, with the teams facing off in a round-robin format with only the group winner advancing to the next stage of qualifying.

BCB president Lloyd Smith is excited to host the tournament, which he called a “monumental achievement” for local cricket’s governing body.

“We are incredibly grateful to the ICC Americas for their confidence in our ability to host a world-class event,” Smith said at a press conference held at North Field Pavilion.

“Hosting these qualifiers not only provides our national team with the advantage of playing on home soil, but also allows us to showcase Bermuda as a premier sporting destination for cricket.

“We look forward to welcoming the teams and their fans to our beautiful island.”

Attending the press conference on behalf of the Government, Tinee Furbert, Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, said the right to host the tournament was testament to the BCB’s hard work and dedication.

She said the tournament will not only showcase the talents of cricketers but also provide an “invaluable opportunity” to highlight Bermuda on the international stage.

“Sporting events of this calibre bring people together, inspire our youth, strengthen our reputation and cement our partnerships,” Furbert added.

“Bermuda is well known for its love for cricket, a sport deeply woven into the island’s culture and traditions.

“We are confident that Bermuda will deliver a vibrant, world-class event. And we anticipate the support of our locals and welcome the visiting teams, officials and fans to our island.

“On behalf of the Government, I extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Bermuda Cricket Board for securing this opportunity, and I wish every success to the organisers, our Bermudian players and supporters.”

Also attending the press conference was Bermuda bowler Zeko Burgess, who is excited at the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of the home crowd.

“It’s definitely a good thing to hear that we’re hosting because there is nothing like playing in front of our fans and also our family, which we don’t get to do often,” he said.

“Thank you to Bermuda Cricket Board for pursuing this because it’s not easy from any perspective preparing for a major tournament. As we proved before, we can host at a high level.”

Expectation will be high that Bermuda will easily come out on top at this level given their recent history in the competition.

“Hosting gives us the opportunity to first of all go for a three-peat,” BCB executive director Calvin Blankendal said.

“We are the defending champions of the ICC Americas region as we won in 2023 and 2024, and on each occasion coming first led us to the final round of qualifiers.”

Also in attendance at the press conference was National Sports Centre operations manager Craig Tyrell, who is happy that the island will host another international tournament.

“In 2022, the Bermuda Cricket Board and National Sports Centre signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure that our sole purpose was to provide a space of international standard for cricket on island,” he said.

“Over the last couple of years we’ve proved that and, thanks to the curators from the BCB, and of course the team here at the NSC, we’ve been able to do that.

“We are looking forward to next summer and hopefully beyond, and give plaudits to the BCB for making this happen, and also the Government for supporting them.”