The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to relocate the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE after holding a virtual board meeting on Tuesday in the wake of the politically tense situation in Dhaka.
The 10-team tournament is scheduled to begin on October 3 with a match between England and South Africa and conclude on the 20th.
The matches will now be held at two venues in the UAE – Dubai and Sharjah.
Bangladesh remains in turmoil despite the recent appointment of a new caretaker government under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Considering the current situation, ICC Board members agreed that the country cannot host the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) agreed with the ICC’s decision to shift the tournament to the UAE, while remaining the tournament’s official host.
The Bangladesh government made a last-ditch effort through the United Nations to hold the games, but the efforts were in vain after countries such as Australia, India, New Zealand and the UK advised their citizens not to travel to Bangladesh.
“It is disappointing that the Women’s T20 World Cup cannot be held in Bangladesh as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have put on a memorable event,” ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said in a statement.