The 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup has come under serious scrutiny following the worsening situation in Bangladesh. The tournament will be held in an Asian country from October 3 to 20 in two venues, Dhaka and Sylhet.
The current situation in Bangladesh is not good. There are riots taking place in the country and there have also been many deaths. The country’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has also resigned and left the country, which highlights the conditions in the country.
Amid all the violence, there has been much speculation about the future of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament is still two months away, but with the kind of turmoil there, it could even be extended into October and put the tournament in jeopardy.
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be played over 18 days and 10 teams are scheduled to play 23 matches at two venues in Bangladesh – the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet, where the situation is currently not good with people dying.
Amidst all the hullabaloo, an ICC spokesperson has spoken about the possibility of shifting the tournament. He said that they are closely monitoring the situation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He stated that their priority is the safety and well-being of all the teams. Speaking to TOI, he explained:
“The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), its security agencies and our independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants.”
Recently, some reports claimed that during the ICC annual conference in Colombo, some of the cricket governing bodies raised the issue but the governing body did not discuss the matter formally as it was not on its agenda.
The process of issuing banknotes is suspended due to the unrest in Bangladesh
According to Sportstar reports, it is learnt that the unrest in Bangladesh has not allowed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to begin the process of ticket sales and even media accreditation. This usually starts two months before the tournament but it has not started yet.
In May, the International Cricket Council unveiled the schedule for the 2024 T20 World Cup in Dhaka. Indian women’s national cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Bangladesh women’s national cricket team captain Nigar Sultana were present at that event. They also held talks with Prime Minister Hasina at her residence.
Australia are the reigning champions and will be hoping to continue their dominance of the tournament, having won the title six times. England and West Indies have won the title twice, while India are yet to do so. The Harampreet Kaur-led side would be keen to make their mark in the tournament and write history. They recently reached the final of the 2024 Asia Cup, before losing the final to Sri Lanka.
