Bangladesh batter Sobhana Mostary expressed her disappointment after her team’s defeat to Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, admitting that the side fell short of what could have been a competitive total. Speaking candidly at the post-match press conference, Mostary shared her thoughts on the team’s batting collapse, fielding lapses, and plans for improvement ahead of their upcoming games.
When asked whether Bangladesh could have scored more than 200 runs, Mostary said the team had set their sights higher after a solid start from the openers.
“The way our openers had started we thought that we would go to 200 or 200 plus but after the wicket of captain Joty our wickets fell consecutively. So in 1 over there was 5 runs coming or 10 runs coming is not a good total in front of Australia that we could have fought we just made 198. If we wouldn’t have lost wickets in the middle, then we would have scored more than 250.”
Bangladesh’s innings struggled for momentum after the dismissal of skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Mostary acknowledged that the lack of partnerships in the middle overs cost them the chance to post a challenging total against a strong Australian attack.
Addressing questions about the broader struggles faced by both the men’s and women’s teams in Bangladesh cricket and the disappointment among fans, Mostary emphasized the players’ commitment and determination to deliver better performances.
“We also don’t want to lose; we are trying and after getting so close we are losing. We will try gifting some winning matches to our audience. Every team member is trying very hard. It wasn’t a good total against Australia; fielding was also very bad but let’s see — in the next match we will improve our lackings and play good cricket.”
Her remarks reflected the team’s awareness of their shortcomings but also their resolve to turn things around as the tournament progresses. Speaking about the conditions, Mostary praised the pitch but admitted that her team failed to capitalize in the middle overs. “Yes, the wicket is very good, in the middle overs we could have got more runs and lost consecutively many wickets so couldn’t achieve the 200-mark total.”
Mostary also acknowledged the effectiveness of Australia’s spinners and credited their skillful control during Bangladesh’s innings. Australia’s spin duo dominated proceedings, extracting turn and bounce that made scoring difficult for the Bangladeshi middle order. “Our spinners were really good but Australian batters really played well, but Alana King and Georgia Wareham were really good.”
When questioned about the absence of Marufa Akter from the playing XI, Mostary clarified that it was a management decision based on fitness considerations. “It is the call of captain and management, she was injured past one year and overcame that and she played well in 5 matches and for our next matches she is required by the team, and we need her.”
Despite the setback, Mostary remained optimistic about the team’s upcoming fixtures, stressing the importance of learning from the mistakes made against Australia. With their next match on the horizon, Bangladesh will aim to bounce back with a stronger performance — one that reflects the hard work and determination Mostary spoke passionately about.
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