Despite the recent turmoil in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains confident in their ability to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled from October 3 to 20.
The country recently faced a national emergency triggered by widespread protests against a reservation law, resulting in over 100 casualties. The unrest led to internet shutdowns across several regions and an exodus of foreign students from Bangladesh. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed concern and is closely monitoring the situation.
However, BCB’s Chief Executive Officer, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, maintains that preparations for the tournament are proceeding as planned. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Chowdhury affirmed, “As of today, all I know is that we are hosting the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as per plan, and we are working accordingly, keeping that in mind.”
Supporting this optimism, Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, chairman of the BCB women’s wing and a parliament member from the ruling party, noted that the situation in the country is gradually stabilizing. He highlighted that international teams like Australia and England have previously toured Bangladesh during more challenging times, including periods of significant political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are hopeful that everything will be fine in the coming days. The Australians and England team visited here in difficult times earlier when the political situation was quite violent or say when there was corona,” Nadel stated. He reassured that the current conditions are improving daily and the BCB is on track with their World Cup preparations.
The Women’s T20 World Cup will feature 23 matches across Dhaka and Sylhet, with ten teams competing. As the BCB continues its efforts, they remain hopeful that the situation will stabilize, allowing Bangladesh to successfully host this prestigious event.
