Australia captain Alyssa Healy has expressed concerns over going ahead with the 2024 women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as the country deals with massive political unrest.
The 2024 women's T20 World Cup is scheduled to start from October 3 in Bangladesh. However, the country has been in political and social turmoil over the last few weeks, with widespread protests bringing it to a standstill. The now former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has fled the country and resigned as reports state that more than 400 people have been killed across the nation following anti-government protests.
Amidst the unrest, the ICC has been discussing backup options to shift the T20 World Cup out of Bangladesh, although no decision has been reached yet. The ICC released a statement earlier in the month which read: "The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), their security agencies and our own independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants."
Also read: BCCI says ‘categorical no’ to hosting 2024 Women's T20 World Cup
Healy: Hard to fathom playing in Bangladesh
Today (August 19), Alyssa Healy expressed her thoughts on the matter, saying she finds it "hard to fathom" to play in Bangladesh even as "people are dying".
"I'd find it hard to fathom playing there at the moment, as a human being, I feel like it might be the wrong thing to do," Healy said. "[That would be] taking resources away from a country that is really struggling. They're needing everyone they can possibly get in there helping people that are dying.
"There's obviously bigger factors at play than putting a cricket tournament on in Bangladesh at the moment... but I'll leave it to the ICC to work out."
The uncertainty surrounding the venue also means that teams will have to wait to figure out the kind of balance they want in their squads. However, Healy said that they are prepared for any eventuality and are not worried about the make-up of their squad.
"It's more about what our team looks like, and what people are working on individually headed into a World Cup on the subcontinent. Whether it is in Bangladesh, or it's not in Bangladesh, I don't think affects us greatly with the make-up of what we've got. We're well prepared for whatever is thrown at us."
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