Women’s T20: Dubai, Sharjah play stepney to host the showpiece

Once again, the UAE has acted as the stepney to host a major cricket tournament as Dubai and Sharjah will stage the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 beginning tomorrow, Thursday. Altogether 10 teams, involving the best of women’s cricketing talent on view, will give it their all, with the final scheduled at Dubai International Stadium on 20 October.

It’s perhaps a testament to the Gulf nation’s infrastructure and readiness that despite being an associate member of the ICC, which is headquartered in Dubai, the UAE will be hosting yet another global event after the men’s T20 World Cup in 2021. On both occasions, they played troubleshooter as it was the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which forced a shift in venue of the men’s event from India, while the ICC decided to shift the venue from Bangladesh only months ago owing to the civil unrest in the country.

The buzz is that Dubai is also on stand-by as the neutral venue to host a leg of the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025 involving India’s games. They had, meanwhile, stepped in to host IPL 2020 and the second leg of IPL 2021 at the height of the pandemic at the request of BCCI, while the UAE has been hosting the Asia Cup fairly regularly.

The upcoming women’s World T20, which used to be dovetailed with the men’s event until 2016, has grown in significance tremendously, with the women’s franchise leagues becoming a showcase for talent from countries like Australia, India, England, New Zealand and South Africa. On a lighter note, it’s often known as an event where every other country plays for second place behind holders Australia, as they have won it six out of eight times so far.

England (2009) and West Indies (2016) are the other two countries to have won, while India failed at the last hurdle. The task is then cut out for Harmanpreet Kaur’s girls to buck the trend under conditions which bear enough resemblance with those back home.

Australia have a new captain in Alyssa Healy but the same ruthless mentality, with Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield adding pep to their established core of big names. The world-beating squad know that they will have to work harder than ever before to make history. “There are no real expectations on our group this time around,” says Healy. “But I expect it to be a really tough tournament. All 10 teams have a shot to win it.”

Australia’s marquee group A clash with India in Sharjah is on 13 October, where the 2020 finalists at the MCG will square off. India may subject the defending champions to a trial by spin, with tweakers Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav both particularly effective in the shortest form of the game.

The opening game in group A is a cracker too, with Sri Lanka facing Pakistan in a re-run of the recent Asia Cup semi-final won by the former. World no. 3 side New Zealand complete a formidable pool.

In group B, South Africa will hope to be one of the closest challengers. They have global-event momentum on their side, having reached a maiden final on home soil two years ago, and captaincy appears to have brought the best out of Laura Wolvaardt.

“Reaching our first-ever World Cup final in 2023 was a big landmark moment for us,” Wolvaardt said. “It was a big ‘breaking the barriers and pushing the boundaries’ moment for the team. Now we'd like to go that one step further and lift the trophy.”

Group B also has Bangladesh — who can call on no fewer than five spinners to exploit conditions — the West Indies, and first-timers Scotland. Only the top two teams in the stacked, five-strong groups will make the semi-finals on 17 and 18 October in Dubai and Sharjah. 

Factfile

Women’s T20 World Cup

Where: Dubai, Sharjah (UAE)

When: 3-20 October 2024

Winner’s purse: $ 2.34 million

Fixtures

Group A

October 3: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 6pm

October 4: India v New Zealand, Dubai, 6pm

October 5: Australia v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 6pm

October 6: Pakistan v India, Dubai, 2pm

October 8: Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah, 6pm

October 9: India v Sri Lanka, Dubai, 6pm

October 11: Pakistan v Australia, Dubai, 6pm

October 12: New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 6pm

October 13: Australia v India, Sharjah, 6pm

October 14: Pakistan v New Zealand, Dubai, 6pm

Group B

October 3: Bangladesh v Scotland, Sharjah, 2pm

October 4: South Africa v West Indies, Dubai, 2pm

October 5: Bangladesh v England, Sharjah, 2pm

October 6: Scotland v West Indies, Dubai, 6pm

October 7: England v South Africa, Sharjah, 6pm

October 9: Scotland v South Africa, Dubai, 2pm

October 10: Bangladesh v West Indies, Sharjah, 6pm

October 12: Bangladesh v South Africa, Dubai, 6pm

October 13: England v Scotland, Sharjah, 2pm

October 15: England v West Indies, Dubai, 6pm

Semi-finals

October 17: Group A winner v Group B runner-up, Dubai, 6pm

October 18: Group B winner v Group A runner-up, Sharjah, 6pm

Final

October 20: TBD v TBD, Dubai, 6pm