The Women's T20 World Cup scheduled for October has been moved to the UAE from Bangladesh, which has been rocked by political turmoil and violence in recent weeks.
World cricket's governing body the ICC said on Tuesday that a number of participating countries had issued travel advisories for Bangladesh, effectively preventing the country from hosting the tournament.
Bangladesh's prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country earlier this month amid the protests, and an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has taken charge.
"It is a shame not to be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board would have staged a memorable event," ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.
"Travel advisories from the governments of a number of the participating teams meant that wasn’t feasible. However, they will retain hosting rights. We look forward to taking an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future," he added.
The tournament will take place in Dubai and Sharjah, from October 3 to 20. It will be the ninth edition of the global championship, with 10 countries involved.
The UAE, which is home to the ICC headquarters, has become a significant hub for cricket in recent years, hosting numerous qualifier tournaments as well as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 alongside Oman.
The ninth edition of ICC Women’s #T20WorldCup to be held in October 2024 has been relocated to a new venue.
— ICC (@ICC) August 20, 2024
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