Due to the political instability in Bangladesh, the venue for the Women’s T20 World Cup has been shifted from Bangladesh to the UAE.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially announced this decision on Tuesday. Despite the change in venue, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will continue to play a significant role as the host of the event, according to the ICC.
The decision to change the venue was made during a virtual board meeting conducted by the ICC.
It is reported that the decision was driven by the lack of interest from the cricket boards of member countries to participate in the tournament, which was initially scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from October 3 to 20.
The matches will now be held in Dubai and Sharjah, UAE, between October 3 and 20.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice expressed disappointment over the need to change the venue but commended the efforts of the BCB to organize the event despite the tense situation in the country.
He also expressed gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board for agreeing to host the tournament.
The UAE, which houses the ICC headquarters, has recently become a major hub for cricket.
It has already hosted several ICC qualifier tournaments, the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and both the full 2020 IPL season and the second phase of the 2021 IPL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.