Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, has ruled out India hosting the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. This has led the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to emerge as a potential host for the tournament. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested more time to prevent the tournament from being moved out of the country. The ICC had previously announced the schedule for the Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh from October 3-20, with warm-up matches starting from September 27.
A report on Cricbuzz suggests that the ICC is considering Dubai and Abu Dhabi as potential hosts for the tournament, while the BCB has asked for an extension. A decision is expected to be made by the ICC on August 20 during an online meeting, although the main agenda of the meeting is different.
The report mentions, “A BCB official has requested the ICC for an additional five days before making a decision. If granted, the ICC will have to finalize the decision on August 20. Originally, the ICC was supposed to decide on the Women’s World Cup by August 15.”
With India ruled out as an alternate venue, the BCB’s request for more time indicates their confidence in developing a plan that aligns with the ICC’s hosting requirements. The report also highlights that the UAE meets the criteria well in terms of time zone similarity to Bangladesh, clear weather conditions, and world-class infrastructure provided by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).
Furthermore, it is noted that Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have also shown interest in hosting the tournament. The report mentions that with only 50 days left until the tournament begins, time is running out for a final decision.
The report also hints that the ICC’s agenda for the August 20 meeting is to finalize the terms of reference for an inquiry into the delivery of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by the USA and West Indies. This issue was discussed during the ICC Annual Conference in Colombo last month, where a panel was formed to report on the matter.
“The primary focus of the meeting is to address this issue, but a decision on the Women’s World Cup cannot be ruled out,” concluded the report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
@Cricbun
