Bangladesh is set to host the maiden edition of the ICC U-19 Women's World Cup in 2021.
The decision was taken in the International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai Monday.
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan upon his return to Dhaka from the meeting Tuesday informed that the only significant agenda for Bangladesh in the meeting was “hosting the maiden edition of the U-19 Women’s World Cup.”
Hosting the tournament shall not be a challenge for Bangladesh but having a team to participate in the tournament is.
Bangladesh cricket currently do not have a U-19 women’s cricket team and it is only recently that the board launched the women’s A team.
@BCBtigers women’s A team were whitewashed in the three-match one-day series after losing the third game against their Indian counterparts by seven wickets at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong Tuesday.https://t.co/yZ8HvQMDWh#BCB #TIGERS #BCBTIGERS #BANGLADESH #BCCI
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) October 8, 2019
According to Nazmul, the ICC initially planned to hold an eight-team U-19 women’s World Cup considering that Bangladesh and a few other nations do not have age-level sides.
“But we insisted and now the tournament will contain 10 members and it has been decided that the tournament will be held in Bangladesh in 2021. This was the only significant agenda for us in the meeting,” said Nazmul to the media in Dhaka Tuesday.
“We do not have an U-19 women’s team but this is a good opportunity for us to think and form one. Yes, it is a challenge to prepare a team in just one year for a tournament like the World Cup but we will still try and have a team ready for the tournament,” he added.
Nazmul also explained that Bangladesh wants to host a few matches from the World Cup 2023, scheduled to be hosted by India from February 9 to March 26.
“We are trying [to host a few games from 2023 World Cup]. It will be easier if we can have the new stadium [Sheikh Hasina International Cricket Stadium in Purbachal] ready by then. We can say we have a new stadium to host some games. There are positive chances. But we did not have a discussion on this in the meeting to be honest, but we are trying,” said Nazmul.
