The highly anticipated ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to relocate the tournament from Bangladesh due to security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will continue to host the event, but it will now take place in the UAE.
The ICC confirmed that the shift in location stems from widespread security concerns expressed by several countries, influenced by travel advisories issued by their governments following recent political instability in Bangladesh.
“It is a disappointment not to host the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, as we were confident that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have delivered a remarkable event,” said ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice in a statement.
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The decision to move the tournament follows escalating unrest in Bangladesh, marked by violence and fatalities since a new government assumed power. The Women’s T20 World Cup will now be played across two venues in the UAE—Dubai and Sharjah—from October 3 to 20 this year.
ICC Global Event
“I want to thank the BCB for exploring all possible options to keep the event in Bangladesh. However, due to travel advisories from several participating teams, it was not feasible. Despite this, the BCB will retain the hosting rights and we look forward to bringing an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future,” Allardice added.
The UAE, which hosts the ICC headquarters, has emerged as a key cricket hub in recent years. The country has previously hosted numerous qualifier tournaments and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, alongside Oman. With its state-of-the-art facilities and robust infrastructure, the UAE is well-prepare to host the Women’s T20 World Cup.
The UAE’s growing influence in cricket is evident, with both its men’s and women’s teams ranked 16th in the ICC T20I Team Rankings.
“I’d also like to extend our gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host on behalf of the BCB, and to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their generous offers of support. We look forward to bringing ICC global events to those countries in 2026,” concluded the ICC statement.
