The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be relocated from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from October 3 to 20, the event will now take place in Dubai and Sharjah.
The decision to move the tournament comes in light of current circumstances in Bangladesh, where hosting a global event was deemed impractical due to travel advisories issued by several countries. The ICC Board members, who discussed the matter in a virtual meeting, unanimously agreed that the situation in Bangladesh made it challenging to hold the event there. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has consented to the change, though it will continue to serve as the official host.
Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy also voiced concerns about holding the World Cup in Bangladesh, citing humanitarian reasons. “Playing there [in Bangladesh] at the moment might not be the right thing to do,” Healy said, referring to the country’s ongoing struggles and the potential strain on its resources. “There are bigger issues at play than hosting a cricket tournament in Bangladesh right now.”
The ICC faced limited options after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined to host the tournament due to weather concerns and preparations for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup. Although Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka offered to host, the UAE was ultimately chosen due to its favorable weather conditions and its time zone alignment with Bangladesh.
The championship, featuring 10 teams and 23 matches, will follow a model similar to the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, where India was the official host but the matches were played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In this case, the BCB will retain hosting rights, with matches being held in the UAE.
Bangladesh has been facing internal challenges, including political unrest and violence, raising concerns about the safety and appropriateness of hosting an international event at this time. Despite these challenges, the ICC expressed its gratitude to the BCB for its efforts to explore all possible options to keep the tournament in Bangladesh.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice acknowledged the situation, saying, “It’s unfortunate that we can’t host the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, as the BCB would have delivered a fantastic event. However, travel advisories made it unfeasible. We appreciate the BCB’s efforts and look forward to bringing an ICC event to Bangladesh in the near future.”
Allardice also thanked the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in as the new host, as well as Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their offers to host the event in 2026.
