Zimbabwe eyes hosting rights for women's T20 world cup

Bangladesh was originally slated to host this year's Women's T20 World Cup, with both the interim government and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) working towards this objective.

However, the recent fall of the Sheikh Hasina government has prompted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to explore alternative venues.

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Zimbabwe has expressed interest in stepping in as the host for the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also under consideration as a potential backup venue. A final decision on the host country is expected during the ICC board meeting on August 20.

The upcoming T20 World Cup, the ninth edition of the tournament, will feature 10 teams.

Neither Zimbabwe nor the UAE are among the participating teams, but Zimbabwe sees several advantages in its bid to host the tournament as a neutral venue. The country has previously hosted World Cup qualifiers in 2018 and 2023, and is set to co-host the U-19 World Cup in 2026 and the ODI World Cup in 2027.

Zimbabwe is positioning itself as a more viable option than the UAE, citing higher potential spectator turnout and lower event costs. However, these factors will only come into play if the BCB and ICC fail to finalize Bangladesh as the host.

Asif Mahmud, the Sports Adviser to the interim government, remains hopeful that Bangladesh will retain its hosting rights for the T20 World Cup. The BCB has requested additional time from the ICC to make a final decision, with the deadline approaching on Tuesday.

The instability following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 has led several countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and India, to issue travel advisories or increase caution for their citizens traveling to Bangladesh. These countries' women's cricket teams are all scheduled to participate in the World Cup.