The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has approached the new interim government seeking assurances for hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in October. The country has a new government in place following violent protests that forced former PM Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country.
With the T20 WC scheduled to be held in Dhaka and Sylhet from October 3-20, the BCB is racing against time to ensure that security arrangements will be in place for the marquee tournament.
Can Bangladesh host Women’s T20 World Cup?
The BCB/ faces multiple hurdles as it tries to ensure Bangladesh retain the hosting rights. Apart from awaiting a response from the interim government, the board is functioning in a haphazard manner with many officials not present in the country.
“We had communicated with them [the Army] but by that time the [interim] government had already been formed. Since it has been formed, they will place priority on it as required,” BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star.
What does ICC have to say?
Prior to reaching out to the interim government, the BCB had sent a letter to the Army seeking assurances over security for the World Cup. The ICC has also been closely monitoring the situation in the country and has also considered India, UAE and Sri Lanka as alternate options should Bangladesh fail to host the event.
“The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), their security agencies and our own independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants,” the ICC said on Monday.
