The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced that the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be relocated from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates due to political instability in Bangladesh. The decision comes amid concerns that the political situation in the country could lead to potential violence, making it unsafe to host the tournament.
The event, originally scheduled to take place from October 3 to 20, will now be held in Dubai and Sharjah. Meanwhile, the Proteas men’s team will await further guidance regarding their upcoming Test tour to Bangladesh.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed his disappointment over the change, stating, “It is unfortunate that we won’t be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have organized a remarkable event. I would like to thank the BCB team for exploring every possible option to host the event in Bangladesh. However, travel advisories from several participating teams’ governments made it unfeasible. Despite this, Bangladesh will retain the hosting rights, and we look forward to bringing an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future.”
Allardice also extended his gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host the event, as well as to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their offers of support. He added, “We are eager to see ICC global events in both Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2026.”
The tournament will feature ten teams competing in 23 matches over 18 action-packed days at the two venues in Dubai and Sharjah. Group A includes six-time champions Australia, along with India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Qualifier 1. Group B will see former hosts Bangladesh competing against England, South Africa, the West Indies, and Qualifier 2.
In other ICC news, Chair Greg Barclay has confirmed that he will not seek a third term and will step down when his current term ends in November. Barclay, who was appointed as the Independent ICC Chair in November 2020 and re-elected in 2022, will see his term conclude at the end of November 2024. Current directors are required to submit nominations for the next Chair by August 27, 2024. If more than one candidate is nominated, an election will be held, with the new Chair’s term beginning on December 1, 2024.
