ZCZC
BSP-07
CRICKET-WOMEN’S-QUALIFIER
Women’s cricket team leaves country to earn ticket for World T20
DHAKA, August 15, 2019 (BSS) – With an aim to earn the ticket for the ICC
Women’s World T20 to be held in Australia in 2020, Bangladesh women’s cricket
team left the country today.
The Tigress will firstly reach Netherlands as they are scheduled to play
four matches as part of their preparation here. Then they will travel to
Scotland on August 27 for the ICC World T20 Qualifiers 2019 scheduled to be
held from August 31 to September 7 in Scotland.
Two finalists of the Qualifiers will progress to the ICC Women’s T20
World Cup-2020 in Australia. Bangladesh, who is the defending champions at
the qualifying tournament, will start their campaign against Papua New Guinea
on the opening day on August 31.
The Women’s team so far took part in the World T20 three times in 2014,
2016 and 2018, but came up with abysmal performance with one victory to show
in these three tournaments.
Especially, in the last tournament in 2018, Bangladesh’s female
cricketers’ performance was disappointing considering the fact that the
Women’s team came up to play the 2018 World T20 by winning the Asia Cup,
beating teams like India twice in group and final stages.
Bangladesh national women’s cricket team head coach Anju Jain said they
need to win more matches to make their presence felt and they are looking
forward to go in that direction from the upcoming ICC World Twenty20
qualifiers.
According to Anju, Tigress seemed to be more determined than before as
they are quite shocked with the way they played in the last edition of World
Cup and as a result they are keen to show their killing instinct from the
very beginning of their campaign.
”It’s disappointing the way we’ve played in the 2018 World Cup for sure
but I think that had worked into the girl’s mind also. Now they really want
to work harder than ever and that’s what we are doing this season,” Anju
told the reporters today.
Captain Salma Khatun was also quite confident that they would be able to
turn the table this time around.
“We are hopeful that we can become champions in Qualifiers again to make
the cut in the T20 World Cup. And this time we are determined of winning some
matches in the World Cup too. The girls are ready to materialise the dream,”
Salma said. Coach Anju Jain said they want to gain the confidence and
momentum by winning matches as much as it is possible. ”But until we start
winning more matches, it’s not going to solve the purpose for us. This year
the target is to win more number of games from the qualifying round. Our
first target is to qualify and then we’ll start again and go series by
series,” she added.
“It’s always good to play more international cricket, but our target is
now to qualify first then we will start progressing to the World Cup. In the
qualifier, we’ve to be at our best in all three departments and that’s what
we’ve been working on. Since T20 is an unpredictable format we won’t take any
side lightly and we’ll keep going with the same approach,” she added.
All-rounder Rumana Ahmed would not be able to play in the qualifiers due
to knee injury but they have got players to fill her void, according to Anju.
Bangladesh has recalled Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary and Shaila
Sharmin, giving the Salma Khatun-led squad a good mix of experience and
youth.
Murshida Khatun, 20, and Sobhana Mostary, 17, who last represented the
national side in May 2018 were drafted into the squad on the back of
promising performances against South Africa Emerging Players in a recent
series.
Shaila Sharmin, whose last appearance for the national side was in
February 2017, also impressed with the ball for the Bangladesh Emerging side
to earn a recall to the main side for the all-important tournament.
From the party that travelled to the Caribbean for the ICC Women’s T20
World Cup 2018, Panna Ghosh, Lata Mondal and Sharmin Akhter have been listed
as stand-by players alongside Suraiya Azmim.
Squad: Salma Khatun (captain), Murshida Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Nahida
Akter, Fargana Haque, Sanjida Islam, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Khadija Tul
Kubra, Ayasha Rahman, Fahima Khatun, Shaila Sharmin, Nigar Sultana and
Shamima Sultana (wicket-keeper).
BSS/SMP/MRI/1910 hrs