The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is facing an uphill battle to retain hosting rights for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup amidst travel restrictions imposed by several countries. The BCB is seeking the United Nations’ intervention to address the issue.
Asif Mahmud, the youth and sports adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, confirmed that the BCB will engage with the UN to discuss the travel restrictions. The governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, India, and New Zealand have either advised against travel to Bangladesh or imposed outright bans.
The BCB considers these travel restrictions as a major obstacle to hosting the tournament. Mahmud stated, “There are travel restrictions for some countries and so we will speak with the United Nations. There are some issues regarding security and infrastructure and we will talk in this regard with professor Yunus [chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government].”
The uncertainty surrounding the World Cup coincides with a crisis within the BCB. President Nazmul Hassan has been missing since the fall of the Awami League government, and several directors with political connections are also untraceable.
Mahmud has discussed the possibility of an interim body to run the BCB, but he emphasized the need for autonomy in the board’s decision-making. “The BCB is an autonomous federation and we cannot give them any decision,” he said.
Former BCB general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq has called for reforms within the board. He criticized the lack of progress in Bangladesh’s cricket performance despite gaining Full Membership in 2000. “BCB doesn’t own a cricket ground, for instance. We lack in planning, and even when we have a plan, nobody has delivered on it,” Huq said.
The BCB is under pressure to address the travel restrictions and the internal crisis to ensure the successful hosting of the Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from February 10 to 26, 2023.
