Amid political unrest, ICC monitoring situation in Bangladesh ahead of Women’s T20 World Cup | Cricket News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: The ICC‘s internal security team is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh, following massive unrest that has led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and departure from the country.
With the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for October 3 to 20 in Bangladesh, the ICC is adopting a wait-and-watch approach before making any decisions about the tournament’s location.
An interim government is set to take over in Bangladesh. Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced on Monday in Dhaka as protests against Hasina’s government escalated, resulting in over 100 casualties in the past two days.
The ICC remains cautious but is keeping tabs on the evolving situation.
“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 unrest in Bangladesh revolves around a controversial quota system that reserves 30 percent of jobs for families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war. The system has sparked fierce demonstrations across the country.
Similar unrest was observed in Sri Lanka in March 2022 when protesters stormed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence, citing corruption and inflation issues. Despite the turmoil, the Australian cricket team traveled to Sri Lanka for a bilateral series in June.
The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup is planned to take place in Dhaka and Sylhet.
As of now, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has “strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice.” The BCCI has typically adhered to government advice in such situations.
The ICC does have contingency plans for unavoidable circumstances.
In case of a need to relocate, Sri Lanka could be an option, given that it successfully hosted the men’s T20 World Cup in 2012 between September and October.
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 approaches.
With the Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for October 3 to 20 in Bangladesh, the ICC is adopting a wait-and-watch approach before making any decisions about the tournament’s location.
An interim government is set to take over in Bangladesh. Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced on Monday in Dhaka as protests against Hasina’s government escalated, resulting in over 100 casualties in the past two days.
The ICC remains cautious but is keeping tabs on the evolving situation.
“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 unrest in Bangladesh revolves around a controversial quota system that reserves 30 percent of jobs for families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war. The system has sparked fierce demonstrations across the country.
Similar unrest was observed in Sri Lanka in March 2022 when protesters stormed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence, citing corruption and inflation issues. Despite the turmoil, the Australian cricket team traveled to Sri Lanka for a bilateral series in June.
The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup is planned to take place in Dhaka and Sylhet.
As of now, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has “strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice.” The BCCI has typically adhered to government advice in such situations.
The ICC does have contingency plans for unavoidable circumstances.
In case of a need to relocate, Sri Lanka could be an option, given that it successfully hosted the men’s T20 World Cup in 2012 between September and October.
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 approaches.
