Expat World Cup to Unite Bangladeshi Diaspora Through Cricket, With Clubs From 30 Countries
The Expat World Cup 2027 is set to be held for the first time to unite Bangladeshi expatriates spread across the world through cricket. Clubs from 30 countries will take part in this international amateur cricket tournament, and the organisers aim to strengthen harmony among expatriates and deepen their ties with home through the game.
The tournament was formally announced by organiser AB Media Group at an event at The Westin hotel in the capital on Thursday. The trophy was unveiled at the event with the cutting of a cake.
Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque attended as chief guest. Also present were AB Media Group founder and managing director Nirjon Mosharraf and chief executive officer Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan.
Familiar faces from cricket at the event included Bangladesh chief selector and former captain Habibul Bashar, former cricketers Mehrab Hossain Opi and Javed Omar Belim, along with other distinguished sports personalities, whose presence added to the interest around the announcement.
Praising the tournament, State Minister Aminul Haque said such an initiative is a wonderful one for expatriates. He said an event like this would encourage those who send remittances home.
He added that involving cricket clubs from 30 countries would create new hope and enthusiasm among Bangladeshi expatriates, giving them a way to hold on to their emotional bond with the country through cricket even while living abroad.
Under the organisers’ plan, the opening match will be held in Australia and the final in the United Arab Emirates, giving the tournament an international shape with its start and finish in two different countries.
Matches are also planned in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Bangladesh, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Malaysia, the organisers said — covering many of the countries with large Bangladeshi expatriate communities.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will attend the gala night of the final, AB Media Group chief executive Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan also announced, adding extra attraction around the closing ceremony.
Outlining the purpose of the tournament, Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan said Bangladesh’s huge youth population must be turned into a skilled workforce through proper training, and that the international connections and experience of established expatriates could be used to create new employment opportunities abroad.
AB Media Group founder and managing director Nirjon Mosharraf said they had received assurances of cooperation from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to make the event a success, adding that they had reached this stage after a great deal of hard work.
Nirjon Mosharraf also said the organisers are in regular contact with an International Cricket Council (ICC) event manager to complete the tournament smoothly. Attention now turns to the announcement of the schedule and the final list of participating clubs, which will take preparations for the novel 2027 event further forward.
