Cook Islands women's national cricket team
The Cook Islands made its international debut at the 2012 ICC East Asia-Pacific regional qualifiers for the World Twenty20, but lost every match, finishing last.[6] A high-performance program was established in the same year, with assistance from ICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP) and a New Zealand provincial governing body, the Northern Districts Cricket Association.[10] With earlier applications to participate in regional tournaments having been declined,[11] the Cook Islands made its international debut at the 2012 EAP Women's Championship in Port Vila, Vanuatu.Despite fielding a young team, including four players under the age of 18, the Cook Islands dramatically improved upon its 2012 result, defeating Vanuatu in the fourth-place playoff by six wickets after bowling them out for 73.[20] The Cook Islands were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier regional group, alongside seven other teams;[21] however, due to COVID-19, the tournament did not go ahead.