In the past few anti-government protests have erupted in Bangladesh in recent weeks, resulting in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On Monday, Prime Minister Hasina resigned and took a plane to India. Since she fled to India, Bangladesh has been in a huge unrest where people are looting public property.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman took over as leader of the military to form a transitional administration. The home of former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, located in Narail, around 150 kilometers from Dhaka, was one of the properties owned by members of Hasina’s Awami League party that was demolished by the demonstrators.
Given the current situation in Bangladesh, the ICC has come to a proactive mode and is looking for a new destination for the Women’s T20 World Cup whose hosting rights are allocated to Bangladesh. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is set to take place from 3 October to 20 October. But now, considering the current scenario of Bangladesh, the ICC is looking for alternatives to host this event.
On Monday, an ICC official stated that the situation in Bangladesh is being closely studied and that all alternatives are still open. “The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), their security agencies, and our independent security consultants,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants.”
In response to the events of Monday, the governments of Australia, England, and India, among the at least three participating nations, have advised their citizens not to travel to Bangladesh.
The ICC has started thinking about other options for the backup venue. Even if Sri Lanka and India are prepared to host a multi-nation tournament at short notice, several issues still need to be addressed. October rains are a possibility in Sri Lanka, while the Pakistani team’s visa situation may present a challenge in India.
Meanwhile, the BCB has postponed the Bangladesh A team’s departure for Pakistan for a series against the Shaheens (Pakistan A) “by 48 hours.” The Dhaka airport was closed on Monday from 6 p.m. until midnight, and it’s unclear whether the scheduled flight will depart on Tuesday.
“The BCB has confirmed to the PCB that their men’s ‘A’ cricket team’s departure to Islamabad has been delayed by 48 hours due to unforeseen circumstances,” the PCB said in a statement on Monday. “The BCB and PCB have been in continuous contact for the past two days and will continue to collaborate on the revised tour itinerary, with additional information to follow in due course. The Bangladesh ‘A’ cricket team was scheduled to travel to Islamabad in the early hours of Wednesday for two four-day and three 50-over matches from August 10 to 27.”
As things stand, there is no alteration in the scheduled departure date of August 17 for the senior team of Bangladesh to travel to Pakistan. The PCB has recommended to the BCB that the Bangladesh Test team be transported to Pakistan ahead of schedule so that they can rehearse and prepare in Rawalpindi before the August 21 start of the Test series. The BCB has yet to reply to the PCB.
The board of directors of the BCB was dissolved, and an interim body was appointed by the National Sports Council in January 2007, the last time a government abdicated or fell. The men’s T20 World Cup was moved from India to the UAE and Oman in 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, marking the last time the ICC transferred a major competition to a backup location.
