T20 World Cup 2024: In a significant shift, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. This decision relocates the prestigious tournament from its original venue in Bangladesh. The change comes as the ICC addresses logistical challenges and travel restrictions affecting the event.
The UAE will host the ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup, and organizers have scheduled matches across two premier venues: Dubai and Sharjah. The tournament will run from October 3 to October 20, showcasing some of the best talents in women’s cricket.
The move to the UAE reflects the region’s growing prominence in the sport. The UAE has recently established itself as a key player in international cricket by hosting various high-profile events, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, alongside Oman. The state-of-the-art facilities and excellent infrastructure in Dubai and Sharjah make them well-suited to accommodate the Women’s T20 World Cup, ensuring a world-class experience for teams and fans alike.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice addressed the decision, expressing his regret that Bangladesh will no longer host the event this year. “It is a shame not to be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have staged a memorable event,” Allardice said. He acknowledged the BCB’s efforts to overcome the challenges but noted that travel advisories made hosting the event in Bangladesh unfeasible. “I would like to thank the team at the BCB for exploring all avenues to try and enable the event to be hosted in Bangladesh. However, they will retain hosting rights, and we look forward to taking an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future.”
Allardice also praised the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host the tournament. He extended thanks to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their generous offers of support, looking forward to future ICC events in those countries in 2026.
The high rankings of the UAE’s men’s and women’s teams, both currently sitting at 16th in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, further highlight the UAE’s growing role in international cricket. This underscores the UAE’s commitment to fostering cricket excellence and its readiness to host major global events.
In related news, ICC Chair Greg Barclay has announced he will step down from his position in November. Barclay, who took on the role of Independent ICC Chair in November 2020 and won re-election unopposed in 2022, will complete his term this year. The process for selecting his successor is underway. Consequently, nominations are required by August 27, 2024. If more than two candidates emerge, the process will hold an election. The new Chair will then begin their term on December 1, 2024.
