The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced that the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates. Initially, Bangladesh was set to host the prestigious event, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the cricket-loving nation had to withdraw from its hosting duties at the last minute. The tournament will now take place in Dubai and Sharjah throughout October 2024.
Cricket enthusiasts can look forward to witnessing the world’s top women cricketers compete in the UAE from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 20. Although the specific venues for the ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup were not disclosed in the ICC’s announcement, it is anticipated that matches will be held at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Sports City and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The UAE was chosen over Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe as the alternate host, with the decision confirmed on Tuesday, August 20. For those unfamiliar with T20 cricket, it is a faster-paced format of the game, limited to 20 overs per team with just a single innings. This format allows for more matches to be played within a shorter time frame.
Cricket has a massive following in the UAE, which has hosted several major cricket tournaments in recent years, including the DP World International League T20 earlier this year. With a large expat population from cricket-loving nations, the Women’s T20 World Cup is expected to draw significant interest from fans.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed his gratitude to the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to host the event at short notice. He acknowledged the efforts of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in attempting to make the event possible but noted that travel advisories from several participating teams made it unfeasible to host the tournament in Bangladesh. Despite the change in venue, Bangladesh retains its hosting rights and the ICC looks forward to holding an event in Bangladesh in the near future. Allardice also thanked Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for their offers of support, with ICC events planned in both countries in 2026.
Australia will return to defend their Women’s T20 World Cup title, facing competition from nine other nations. The 2023 winners qualified alongside the other top six teams from the previous edition, including England, India, South Africa, New Zealand, and West Indies. Despite the change in hosting country, Bangladesh is expected to participate, although the ICC has not yet confirmed this. The other qualified teams include Pakistan, Scotland, and Sri Lanka. Ticket information and the full schedule for the tournament are yet to be released.
