Zim loses T20 World Cup hosting

THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) has won the bid to host the much-anticipated 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, replacing Bangladesh due to unrest in that country.

Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and UAE were shortlisted to host the event, with UAE eventually prevailing. The 10-team Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled for October 3-20.

Zimbabwe’s promising weather conditions and potential for good crowds made them a strong contender.

However, the ICC Board ultimately selected the UAE, which previously stepped in to host the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup with Oman, after Covid-19 forced the tournament out of India. Matches will take place in Dubai and Sharjah.

In a statement, ICC chief executive, Geoff Allardice, thanked the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Zimbabwe Cricket and Sri Lanka for their generous offers of support and expressed his hope of taking an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future.

“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. I would like to thank the team at the BCB for exploring all avenues to try and enable the event to be hosted in Bangladesh, 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,” said Allardice.

Despite losing the bid, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will co-host future ICC events, with the former hosting the Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup with Namibia in 2026 and the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup with Namibia and South Africa.

“I would 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,” said Allardice.

The UAE, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe emerged as options to stage the World Cup after the Board of Control for Cricket in India rejected the ICC’s offer to host it. – @brandon_malvin