ICC relocates Women's T20 World Cup to UAE

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the relocation of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the political unrest in Bangladesh.

The ICC confirmed that all matches will now be held in the UAE, with the tournament proceeding as per its original schedule with the event commencing in October as planned.

The matches are scheduled to be held from October 3 to October 20 across the Dubai and Sharjah stadiums. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will continue to play a significant role in hosting the tournament in collaboration with the UAE.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed regret over the inability to host the tournament in Bangladesh, acknowledging the BCB's efforts to prepare for the event.

"It is unfortunate that we will not be hosting the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, especially as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was keen to deliver a memorable event," Allardice said.

He further explained that despite the BCB's determination to make the event possible, the travel advisories from several participating teams' governments made it impractical to hold the tournament in Bangladesh.

Allardice also assured that Bangladesh would retain its hosting rights and expressed anticipation for future ICC events in the country.

He extended his gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board, BCB, as well as the Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe Cricket Boards for their generous offers to host the tournament. "We look forward to seeing ICC global events in these two countries in 2026," he added.