Bangladesh is grappling with severe unrest, and it is likely to affect the cricket in the country. The protests in the country raise concerns about its ability to host a major tournament like the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place from October 3-20. The situation in the country has become more uncertain after its long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and subsequently fled the country on an Air Force jet.
With the International Cricket Council (ICC) event less than two months away, the anxiousness is growing and there were speculations that the tournament might be contested in an alternative venue. However, ICC has yet to provide an official statement on the matter but has stated that they are closely monitoring developments in Bangladesh.
“The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), their security agencies and our own independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants,” the ICC spokesperson told IANS.
Additionally, several member nations have raised concerns about the unrest in Bangladesh regarding the government jobs quota system during the recent ICC Annual Conference in Colombo. However, this issue was not included in the formal agenda of the conference.
The Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be contested in two venues- Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet. Ten teams will play 23 matches across 18 days of the tournament. Ahead of the tournament, there will be ten warm-up matches which are scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 1, all taking place at BKSP in Dhaka.
India are placed in Group A with New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Meanwhile, Bangladesh are in Group B alongside England, South Africa, West Indies, and Scotland. Bangladesh received the hosting rights in May 2024 with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in attendance alongside India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana.
