The Women's T20 World Cup is slated to be held in Bangladesh from October 3 to October 20.
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) internal security team is keeping a close tab on the massive unrest in Bangladesh that has led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and departure from the country.
With the Women's T20 World Cup is slated to be held in Bangladesh from October 3 to October 20, the ICC is reportedly adopting a wait-and-watch approach before taking any decisions regarding the tournament location.
Notably, the unrest in Bangladesh is related to the contentious quota system that reserves 30 percent of jobs for families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war.
An interim government is set to take over in Bangladesh, confirmed Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman in Dhaka on Monday (August 5) as protests against Hasina's government turned ugly, resulting in over 100 casualties in the past two days.
The ICC remains cautious but is monitoring the evolving situation in Bangladesh, where fans are so passionate about the game of cricket.
"The ICC has an independent security monitoring system across all its member nations. The situation is being monitored closely but with seven weeks left for the tournament to begin, it will be too early to comment whether the tournament will be shifted from Bangladesh," an ICC board member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The Women's T20 World Cup 2024 matches are scheduled to take place in Dhaka and Sylhet. The ICC also have contingency plans for unavoidable circumstances.
In case of a need to relocate, Sri Lanka could be an option, given that it has hosted quite a few multi-nation tournaments despite political turmoil in the country.
However, a critical question remains whether countries like South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia will send their women's teams to Bangladesh amidst the current volatile security environment.
For now, the ICC continues to monitor the situation as the start date of the Women's T20 World Cup is fast-approaching.
(With PTI Inputs)