ICC Shifts Women's T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE

ICC Shifts Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE

Abdullah Khalid Butt / 4 months
August 20, 2024

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 has been relocated from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The decision came after the ICC determined that the situation in Bangladesh was not suitable for hosting a global event.

Geoff Allardice, the ICC chief executive, expressed his disappointment in a statement. “It is a shame not to be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have staged a memorable event,” he said. He added that despite the efforts of the BCB to keep the tournament in Bangladesh, travel advisories from several countries made it impossible.

The situation in Bangladesh became tense in recent months due to anti-government protests that spread across the country in July and early August. These protests led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India. Although an interim government is now in place, incidents of violence, vandalism, and looting have continued. This made it difficult for the ICC to proceed with the World Cup in Bangladesh.

In light of these circumstances, the ICC decided to shift the venue to the UAE. Allardice thanked the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host the tournament on short notice. He also acknowledged Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their offers of support.

The UAE has experience hosting major cricket events, having successfully staged the men’s T20 World Cup in 2021. The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will now take place from October 3 to October 20 in the UAE.

Despite the venue change, Bangladesh will retain its hosting rights for a future ICC event. The ICC looks forward to bringing a global cricket event to Bangladesh when conditions are more favorable.