New Delhi. The ongoing political conflict in Bangladesh has also affected international cricket events. The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was scheduled to be held in Bangladesh, but due to the ongoing unrest in the country, the event may be shifted to another country. Amidst all this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has refused to host this tournament. There is a big reason hidden behind this. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has given a clear position on this issue that if the situation in Bangladesh does not improve, India will not host the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Talking to the Times of India, he told that the ICC had contacted the BCCI and asked if India would host this World Cup despite the political unrest in Bangladesh. Jay Shah replied that India rejects the offer.
A recent massive and violent student-led movement in Bangladesh forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country. The protests ousted the Awami League party from power and made the situation in Bangladesh extremely volatile. Given the gravity of the situation, the ICC has started considering hosting the World Cup in a country other than Bangladesh. Jai Shah further said that India will already host the Women’s ODI World Cup next year and due to the current monsoon season, India does not want to host the Women’s T20 World Cup this time. He also said that India does not want to give the signal of hosting consecutive World Cups. For this reason, India has turned down the offer and now the ICC is left with only two options in Asia – Sri Lanka and UAE.
The ICC now has two potential options outside Bangladesh: Sri Lanka and the UAE. Both countries have hosted international cricket tournaments in the past and could be potential hosts in this situation. Sri Lanka, a major cricketing nation with a strong cricket tradition, and the UAE, which has emerged as a stable and convenient option, could both be suitable to host the World Cup.
