ICC moves Women's T20 World Cup 2024 from crisis-hit Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates

New Delhi, August 20 (IANS) The much-awaited ninth edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup will now be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continuing to host the event. The ICC confirmed that the tournament will now be held by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in the UAE, as many countries have raised safety concerns due to travel warnings issued by their respective governments in the wake of political unrest in the country. Latest ICC rankings: Smriti Mandhana moves up to third in ODI batting rankings, Natalie Sciver-Brunt stays at the top.

“It is a shame not to host the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have put on a memorable event,” ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement. The reason for the International Cricket Council's (ICC) last-minute change of plans is the unrest in Bangladesh, where violence and deaths have occurred every day since a new government came to power.

The tournament will now be held from October 3 to 20 this year at two venues in the UAE – Dubai and Sharjah. “I would like to thank the team at BCB for exploring all options to host the event in Bangladesh, but due to travel warnings from the governments of some of the participating teams, this was not possible. However, they retain the hosting rights. We look forward to bringing a global ICC event to Bangladesh in the near future,” it added. Pakistan Cricket Association rejects reports of rescheduling of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Home to the ICC headquarters, the UAE has become a major hub for cricket in recent years, hosting numerous qualifying tournaments as well as the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup alongside Oman. With its world-class facilities and infrastructure, the UAE is well-equipped to host the Women's T20 World Cup. The country's growing importance in the sport is reflected in the rise of its men's and women's teams, both of which currently sit 16th in the ICC T20I Team Rankings.

“I would also like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for hosting on behalf of the BCB, as well as Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their generous offers of support. We look forward to seeing global ICC events in both of these countries in 2026,” the statement concluded.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2024 10:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com.)