ICC Replaces Bangladesh with UAE as Host for Women’s T20 World Cup Due to Instability

ICC confirms UAE as the host nation for upcoming Women's T20 WC

The Women’s T20 World Cup was rescheduled by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ICC stated that the tournament “wasn’t feasible” to hold in Bangladesh after several participating countries expressed concern about visiting the unstable country.

Bangladesh will still hold the hosting rights to ensure that it gets its fair share of cash from the event, which now takes place in Dubai and Sharjah and includes India from October 3 to October 20.

“It is a shame not to be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have staged a memorable event,” ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement which avoided any direct mention of the violence and tension in the South Asian nation.

Allardice said the Bangladesh Cricket Board explored “all avenues to try and enable the event to be hosted” there.

“…but 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 said.

Since the massive student protest against a quota system in government jobs began in mid-July, over 600 people have died. More than 230 of those deaths occurred in violent incidents that broke out across the nation after the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina fell.

The 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as the Chief Adviser of the newly established temporary administration.

Najmul Hassan Papon, the head of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, who was reportedly close to the former prime minister, has also left the nation.

Australia T20 captain Alyssa Healy voiced her concerns about playing there on Monday, prompting the ICC to make its decision.

“I would find it hard to fathom playing there at the moment, as a human being. I feel it might be wrong thing to do,” Healy was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press.

Allardice said that all available options were explored before deciding on shifting the venue.

“I’d also like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host on behalf of the BCB and Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their generous offers of support, and we look forward to seeing ICC global events in both of those countries in 2026.”

UAE was a viable location because Dubai and Sharjah are near to one another and the logistics costs of holding the event there won’t increase significantly.

On August 5, as anti-government demonstrations intensified, Hasina announced her resignation and left the nation. After arriving in India, the 76-year-old leader is now being housed in a safe house in Delhi.

Following the change of leadership, there have been reports of crimes committed against the minority communities in the country.

Australia T20 captain Alyssa Healy voiced her concerns about playing there on Monday, prompting the ICC to make its decision.