The Bangladesh women’s team led by skipper Nigar Sultana Joty were last involved in an away white-ball bilateral series against West Indies, that included a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match T20I series against the Hayley Matthews-led side.
They failed to get to terms with the conditions on offer as they lost the ODI series by a 2-1 margin and were whitewashed (3-0) in the T20I series. As a result of their ODI series defeat, the Nigar Sultana Joty-led side will have to go through the qualifiers route to earn a spot for themselves in the upcoming edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in India in September–October later in the year.
After a disappointing show in the West Indies, all the players, including the seniors who have represented the country at the international level along with the upcoming young talent would be keen to use the upcoming edition of the Dhaka Premier Division Women’s Cricket League, a domestic competition in Bangladesh as a platform to showcase their talent and use it as an ideal preparation for the crucial qualifiers coming up.
“Since we have the qualifiers ahead, this tournament is extremely important. Playing good cricket here will positively impact our performance in the qualifiers,” said the Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty about the significance of the upcoming domestic tournament, with respect to the World Cup qualifiers, scheduled in April-May in Pakistan.
The tournament provides the youngsters with an opportunity to perform well along with consistency and potentially put their hat in the ring for a national call-up. This season, the number of participating teams has decreased to nine, with Rupali Bank opting out. However, the Bangladesh skipper, Nigar Sultana Joty, expects strong competition from the remaining teams.
The league faces persistent issues with irregular scheduling, which national team players believe hinder the development of emerging talent. This has been a recurring concern over the years.
“At times, women cricketers face injustice. Those outside the national team rely on domestic tournaments to showcase their skills. If these leagues aren’t held regularly or expanded, it’s disappointing for many players,” Nigar Sultana Joty expressed her disappointment to the organisers and the cricket board for not laying a proper and consistent domestic structure in the country to ensure the growth and development of women’s cricket in the region.
Women’s domestic cricket is returning to the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur after many years, highlighting both the significance and rarity of such events.
The season will begin with matches like Mohammedan Sporting Club Vs. Sheltech Cricket Academy at Mirpur, Abahani Vs. Bangladesh Police, and Khelaghar Vs. Gulshan Youth Cricket Club at different venues.
(Quotes sourced from The Business Standard)
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