There have been reports of atrocities against the country’s minority communities following the change of guard. | Image: Shutterstock
The ICC on Tuesday moved the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates, saying it was “not feasible” to hold the event there after governments of several participating countries advised against travel to the unrest-hit nation.
The event, which will also involve India and is scheduled to run from October 3-20, will now be held in Dubai and Sharjah, with Bangladesh retaining the hosting rights, ensuring it gets its share of the revenue.
“It is a shame that we will not be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have delivered a memorable event,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement that avoided any direct mention of the violence and tension in the South Asian nation.
Allardice said the Bangladesh Cricket Board was exploring “every avenue to try and allow the event to take place” there.
“…but travel advisories from the governments of several of the participating teams made this not possible. However, they will retain the hosting rights. We look forward to bringing an ICC World Cup event to Bangladesh in the near future,” he said.
More than 230 people have been killed in violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the mass student protest against a quota system in government jobs began in mid-July.
An interim government has been formed and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, has been named its chief adviser.
Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman Najmul Hassan Papon, known for his closeness to the former prime minister, also fled the country.
The ICC’s decision comes after Australia T20 captain Alyssa Healy expressed fears about playing there on Monday.
“As a human being, I would find it difficult to imagine playing there right now. I think it wouldn’t be the right thing to do,” Healy told Australia’s Associated Press.
Allardice said all available options were explored before deciding to change the venue.
“I would also like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board for offering 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 countries in 2026.”
The UAE was a viable venue as both Dubai and Sharjah are located close to each other and the logistical cost of holding the event there would not skyrocket drastically.
On August 5, as anti-government protests reached their peak, Hasina resigned and fled the country. The 76-year-old leader, who is in a precarious situation, landed in India and is currently in a safe house in Delhi.
There have been reports of atrocities against the country’s minority communities as a result of the changing of the guard.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: August 20, 2024 | 21:23 IS
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