Women’s World Cup likely to be held in Bangladesh, says sports adviser
Recent incidents in the country have raised concerns about whether the Women’s T20 World Cup will take place in Bangladesh as planned. The ICC has already mentioned that preparations for alternative venues have been initiated.
Nevertheless, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, the sports adviser in the interim government overseeing the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is optimistic about hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Speaking to a national daily, he said, “I have already started taking measures. I hope the Women’s T20 World Cup will not be moved out of Bangladesh. If such an event is moved during this critical time of nation-building, it would be very damaging to our image.”
The ICC has stated that if the situation in Bangladesh necessitates an alternative venue, they are prepared for that scenario. India, the UAE, and Sri Lanka are on the list of potential alternative venues. However, Asif Mahmud believes it is still possible to hold the event in Bangladesh. He places significant trust in the interim government’s Chief Adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, in this regard. Asif Mahmud said, “We are fortunate to have Yunus Sir with us. There are some renovations we need to undertake, which I have discussed with the secretary. We will meet on Sunday to address these issues. I will sit down with the secretary and we will make decisions at the ministry.”
“Internationally renowned figure Dr. Muhammad Yunus Sir is leading us, and he is also a sports enthusiast. He was recently involved with the Olympics. After discussing with him, I am hopeful that we will be able to successfully host the Women’s T20 World Cup in our country. We will do our utmost to make this event happen,” he added. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will also make every effort to ensure this, and they have already begun preparations. It has been reported that the BCB has written a letter to the Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-uz-Zaman, to ensure adequate security measures for the global tournament.
Nazmul Hasan Papon has been the president of the BCB for 10 years, while Kazi Salahuddin has been re-elected for a fourth term as the president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). When asked whether there would be any changes in the leadership of these two major federations, the sports adviser said, “It is not appropriate to discuss individuals in leadership. We have campaigned for the process, for the system. We believe in the system, and we will reform the system. We will establish a system where, regardless of who is in leadership, we will be able to stand tall in the world of sports.”
During the ongoing anti-discrimination student movement, an ICC official mentioned that they are closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and have begun preparations for alternative venues. The official stated, “The ICC is closely observing the situation in Bangladesh in collaboration with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), their security agencies, and our own security advisors. Our priority is to ensure the safety and security of all participating teams.”
