Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty said she was “very happy” as her side looks ahead to a congested international schedule, a development she believes will sharpen skills and reward the team’s recent progress. Fresh from a campaign in the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, where Bangladesh finished fourth in Group A with four points from five matches (two wins and three defeats), Joty outlined a clear focus on immediate commitments while acknowledging the long-term benefits of playing more frequently in top cricketing nations.
Speaking at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur after attending the Notun Kuri Sports Cricket event final, Joty framed the upcoming fixtures as both reward and responsibility. Bangladesh will first concentrate on the Women’s Asia Cup and the women’s cricket event at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, opening against China in a quarter-final fixture.
The autumn and winter itinerary then intensifies: a three-match ODI tour of Australia in October followed by a December tour of New Zealand featuring three T20Is and three ODIs. The England and Wales Cricket Board has also confirmed Bangladesh’s first bilateral white-ball series in England for 2027.
“This is a very big opportunity for our team,” Joty told reporters. “We have always wanted to play in places like Australia, New Zealand or England because playing there helps develop your skills much more.” She linked the increased fixture list in part to the learning curve shown in England: “Since we recently played in England and did well there, there is definitely a reflection of that.”
Despite the excitement, Joty emphasised pragmatism. Her primary concern is readiness for the nearer-term tournaments rather than future glamour tours. “Before that, we have a lot of scheduled commitments, and it is better to focus on those. If we can go there with the best possible preparation, it will be good,” she said, underlining the importance of the Future Tour Programme (FTP) as a pathway to accumulate crucial points and experience. “Under the FTP, every series is important for us now. We have to think about collecting points from each of them.”
Player availability and fitness are central to her planning. Joty highlighted the squad’s positive morale, “The biggest thing is that the players are very happy because we have always wanted to stay busy with cricket”, while urging players to maintain fitness and commitment to selection. The skipper also acknowledged practical obstacles: persistent rain has hampered their preparation at home, forcing the team to adapt training plans.
Looking ahead to the Asia Cup, a trophy Bangladesh last won in 2018, Joty set an ambitious but measured target. “We want to prepare in a way that allows us to approach this Asia Cup better than we did last year,” she said. “With the amount of rain currently affecting every venue in Bangladesh, we will still try to prepare in the best possible way before going there and definitely aim to play in the final.”
Bangladesh’s schedule over the next 18 months will test depth and consistency, but for Joty it is precisely the kind of challenge that accelerates growth. The skipper’s mix of optimism and discipline, celebrating increased opportunities while insisting on focused preparation, captures a team intent on converting momentum from the T20 World Cup into sustained progress across formats.
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