By: Elena Roopchansingh 2 October, 2024
Edited: 12 October, 2024
On August 20, 2024 forty-four days from the beginning of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the tournament will no longer take place in Bangladesh. It will now be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across the two venues of Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Civil unrest and turmoil led to the country’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and subsequent fleeing from the country in early August (Vock & Ethirajan 2024). Safety is of paramount concern for any sporting event and the decision to move the tournament would not have been taken lightly. Considerate moderation of the situation led to the confirmation of the tournament moving from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) still operating as hosts.
These are unfortunate circumstances but the implications are beyond simply being the location the tournament is held. There are economic and social factors and benefits that have become compromised for Bangladesh. The opportunity to stage an international tournament would present avenues for highlighting the country’s people, culture and landscapes. These are the intangible and positive impacts the country loses out on. These generally boost the tourism sector and hospitality sector indices. This exposure oftentimes goes the long haul in benefitting the country. There would have also been financial investments in infrastructure and facilities that would have triggered a positive net result in the interest of the sport. Moreso, the potential to inspire future generations from seeing and experiencing the tournament is also lost. It is lamentable that the country is losing out on these fronts.
Turning attention now to the UAE, it is the headquarters of the ICC and not a novice at staging tournaments. In recent times it has hosted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, men’s series like Australia versus Pakistan in 2018/ 2019 and is the home venue of the Afghanistan men’s team. Many of these women’s World Cup teams however, have not played cricket there. With the tournament having a new look to it, teams will now be getting analysis behind conditions and venues to understand how these elements would influence their approach, as conditions usually do. It would require quick assessment of conditions upon arrival, adaptability and variation in skillsets.
Situated in the southeastern region of the Asian continent, expectations would be that conditions are similar to that of other subcontinent nations. This would favour the likes of Asian nations like India but would pose a different and unique challenge for other territories not acclimatised to these conditions. Arguably, with no particular team having a comprehensive grasp on the playing conditions in the UAE, it can be said that there is an element of neutrality and that all teams start on equal ground. No one team has the advantage of knowing what to expect or could rely on experience in these conditions to favour their case.
As with any of the women’s tournaments or series, it is an opportunity to push for even more growth in the game and create more avenues for the development of the sport. Regardless of the challenges posed and change of location, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 promises to showcase incredible talent, fierce competition, passion, excitement, heartbreak and ultimately triumph.
Sources:
UAE confirmed as new venue for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/womens-t20-worldcup/news/new-venue-confirmed-for-icc-women-s-t20-world-cup-2024 (Accessed 27 August 2024)
Ido Vock & Anbarasan Ethirajan (2024) Euphoria in Bangladesh after PM Sheikh Hasina flees country BBChttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clywww69p2vo (Accessed 27 August 2024)