Zimbabwe has come out as one of the two possible candidates for this year's Women's T20 World Cup host. Security concerns caused due to the civil crisis and unrest have likely caused the tournament, which was originally scheduled to begin on October 3 and be held in Bangladesh, to be moved. After India ruled themselves out on Thursday, the UAE is the second location being considered. It is understood that the ICC board will likely decide on Tuesday, August 20.
As per a report from ESPNcricinfo, After successfully hosting the previous two ODI World Cup Qualifiers (in 2018 and 2023), Zimbabwe's interest stems from their desire to establish themselves as a destination for major cricket. The country last hosted a World Cup in 2003, along with South Africa and Kenya.
Since then, Zimbabwe has not hosted any major events and the men's team has failed to qualify for two of the last three T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups. Zimbabwe is eager to serve as neutral tournament hosts, despite the fact that their women's teams have never participated in a World Cup.
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In 2026, Zimbabwe and Namibia will together host the men's Under-19 World Cup, and in 2027, South Africa and Namibia will co-host the ODI World Cup. By that time, Zimbabwe will have two additional international stadiums because Zimbabwe Cricket and the local government are collaborating to construct multipurpose facilities in Mutare and Victoria Falls. For the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe can offer Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and Harare Sports Club, both of which have newly installed floodlights. All of the televised matches in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers were also played on these grounds, with streaming games being played at Takashinga Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Zimbabwe's weather is expected to be a major selling point, as the country enters summer in October with little precipitation. Due to the fact that India will be experiencing the last monsoon, the host nation rejected the offer. It is also believed that Sri Lanka has dropped out of contention due to weather-related factors. Importantly, Zimbabwe will be able to draw decent crowds, including schoolchildren, at venues with a 10,000-person capacity. The absence of spectators in stadiums that can hold more than 20,000 people is a concern regarding the UAE as a venue. Additionally, Zimbabwe hopes that their country's relatively low cost of hosting a tournament will give them an advantage when the final decision is made.
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