India declines hosting Women’s T20 World Cup

The BCCI has said that India will not play last-minute host to the Women’s T20 World Cup if it is moved from Bangladesh. The Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in October, and the host Bangladesh may no longer be available due to reports of unrest currently enveloping the country. This has forced the ICC to seek out alternatives, and India is ruling themselves out. 

Jay Shah, secretary of the BCCI, while speaking with Times of India, said that India had been asked by the ICC if they would be open to hosting the tournament, but would be refusing, as India is the host for next year’s Women’s ODI World Cup. 

He said, “They have asked us if we would conduct the World Cup. I have categorically said no. We’re in the monsoon, and on top of that, we will host the Women’s ODI World Cup next year. I don’t want to give any kind of signal that I want to hold consecutive World Cups.”

The ICC has said they are observing the situation in Bangladesh and would make a decision on a new host country on August 20. According to the ICC, they are working with security authorities in Bangladesh to assess how things turn out. This means the event may still go ahead in Bangladesh, if things cool down in the country, as the ICC has said that their “priority is the safety and well-being of all participants.”

India ruling themselves out means the likely options for a new host could be UAE and Sri Lanka. The odds are stacked against Bangladesh at this point. Already, some countries that would be participating in the women’s T20 World Cup have issued warnings against their citizens traveling to Bangladesh in the meantime.

Also, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is currently experiencing internal problems that could undermine the success of any event held soon. All of this makes it more likely that the tournament will find a new home, somewhere that can assure the safety of all participants and can also be easily assessed by all.