|| CF CORRESPONDENT ||

The 2024 Women's T20 World Cup scheduled for October has been moved out of Bangladesh and will instead take place in the United Arab Emirates, the International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday.

The decision to change the venue follows unrest in Bangladesh that led to the overthrow of prime-minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country at the start of the month after 15 years of iron-fisted rule.

More than 450 people were killed in the weeks of protests leading up to her August 5 ouster, most by police fire. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has since taken over as interim leader.

Despite efforts from the current Bangladesh Cricket Board, the Bangladesh Army, and newly appointed sports advisor Asif Mahmud, Bangladesh is unable to secure the hosting rights for the World Cup on home soil and the ICC ultimately decided against holding the event in Bangladesh.

A significant factor behind this decision was the travel restrictions imposed by countries like India, Australia, England, and New Zealand. These restrictions proved to be the main hurdle for Bangladesh, and as a result, despite being listed as a host, Bangladesh’s women’s team will now have to play the World Cup in Sharjah or Dubai. This news has deeply saddened the team’s captain, Nigar Sultana Joty.

Nigar expressed her disappointment to Cricfrenzy, saying, “The World Cup was supposed to be held in our country, but now it’s being moved elsewhere. No matter how you put it, it’s going to hurt everyone who follows cricket in Bangladesh.”

Since making her International debut in 2015, Nigar has played in several Asia Cups, as well as Women’s ODI and T20 World Cups. However, despite scoring nearly 2,000 runs in T20Is, she has never had the opportunity to play a World Cup at home, in front of her family.

Nigar also spoke about how the decision affects not only her but also her family, friends, and fans. She believes that this has broken the hearts of everyone.

“Everyone is a little heartbroken after this news. Our families, friends, and even fans from outside the country who had prepared to come and watch the World Cup – it’s heartbreaking for all.”

Jahanara Alam, who recently returned to the national team after a long absence, also shared her frustration. The 31-year-old pacer, who took 25 wickets in 9 matches for Abahani in the last Women’s Dhaka Premier League (DPL), was dreaming of playing the World Cup at home again, after last doing so in 2014.

Jahanara, who was only 20 years old during the 2014 World Cup, was eagerly looking forward to representing Bangladesh in front of home crowds again.

“It’s really frustrating and sad for us. After 10 years, we were going to host the World Cup at home, but now we can’t. There were a lot of expectations from the people, so it’s disappointing.” expressed her disappointment to Cricfrenzy.

Despite the setback, Jahanara is determined to stay focused on the team’s goals. She added, “Our ultimate goal is to perform well in the World Cup, and that remains unchanged, In Sha Allah.”

Former captain of Bangladesh Habibul Bashar, who is now serving as the head of operations for the BCB’s women’s division, also shared his disappointment. He has been closely involved in the development of women’s cricket and knows how much the World Cup meant to the players.

“It’s certainly disappointing for us. Everyone had a dream of playing a World Cup on home soil. To be honest, I feel even worse for the players because they had high hopes and dreams. Not everyone gets the chance to fulfill such dreams, so I feel particularly bad for them.” Bashar said.

However, Bashar does not see the World Cup’s relocation as a setback for the development of women’s cricket in Bangladesh.

“Of course, hosting it in Bangladesh would have been better for our women’s cricket, as it would have helped the game grow. It’s not exactly a setback, but rather a missed opportunity. If it had happened here, we might have seen more girls taking up cricket in the future,” he remarked.

The 10-team tournament will be staged October 3-20 across two venues in the UAE - Dubai and Sharjah.

Australia have won six of the eight previous editions, including each of the last three.