The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will no longer be held in Bangladesh. The tournament has been relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is scheduled to run from October 3 to October 20.
T20 World Cup Shifted to UAE
As per the ICC’s official statement, the ninth edition of the women’s T20 World Cup will now be hosted in the UAE. Although Bangladesh will no longer host the matches, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains the official host of the event. The games will be held across two venues in the UAE: Dubai and Sharjah.
Challenges Leading to the Venue Change
Geoff Allardice, the Chief Executive of the ICC, expressed disappointment over the venue change. He acknowledged the efforts of the BCB to organize the event in Bangladesh but cited travel advisories from several participating nations as the primary reason for the relocation. Allardice also mentioned the possibility of hosting an ICC event in Bangladesh in the future.
Acknowledgment of Support from Other Nations
Allardice extended his gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board for accommodating the event on behalf of the BCB. He also thanked Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their offers to support the tournament, with an eye on potential ICC events in these countries in 2026.
Teams and Tournament History
This year, ten teams—India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh, and Scotland—will compete for the championship. Australia, the reigning champions, have dominated the Women’s T20 World Cup with six titles, including victories in the last three tournaments held in the West Indies (2018), Australia (2020), and South Africa (2023). India, despite reaching the final in 2020, faced a heavy defeat against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.