The Bangladesh Cricket Board: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the squad for their first women’s tour of the West Indies, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is, starting January 19. Nigar Sultana will lead the side on the tour while pacer Jahanara Alam has taken a break from cricket for an indefinite period due to mental health issues.”She had given us a letter stating that she was not mentally ready to play and took a break from cricket for two months,” BCB women’s wing in-charge Habibul Bashar told Cricbuzz. “She even said that if necessary, she should not be kept in the contract. We need to respect that because if someone feels that she is not mentally ready and wants to take a break for some days, we need to accept that. There is no specific time frame for which she is out. Whenever she feels well, she will let us know,” he added.
Jahanara, with 52 ODIs and 83 T20Is to her name, returned to the Bangladesh squad in July 2024 after a year-long absence. Although named in the T20 World Cup squad, she did not feature in any matches. She last played during Bangladesh’s home series against Ireland, appearing only in the T20Is while being benched for the ODIs. Lata Mondal and Fariha Islam have been recalled to the ODI squad, while Jahanara and Ritu Moni missed out. In the T20I setup, Marufa Akter, Sultana Khatun, Lata Mondal, and Farzana Hoque have made a comeback, whereas Ritu Moni, Jahanara Alam, and Jannatul Ferdous have been excluded.
Vice-captain Nahida Akhter expressed optimism, drawing inspiration from the recent successful tour of the men’s team in the West Indies.
“Really excited, going to West Indies for the first time. The men’s team just returned after a successful tour there. Hopefully, we’ll do something good as well,” Rabeya Khan said. “We really need the four points to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. That’s our goal – to win the ODIs there,” she concluded.
All matches on the tour are scheduled to take place at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts. The Bangladesh team will reach St. Kitts on January 14. The ODIs will take place on January 19, 21, and 24, followed by three T20Is, scheduled for January 27, 29, and 31.
The ODI series holds importance as both teams vie for vital ICC Women’s Championship points to secure direct qualification for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Bangladesh, currently seventh in the standings with 19 points, sit just outside the automatic qualification zone. Meanwhile, West Indies are in ninth place with 14 points. With only three matches left, both teams are determined to seize the final direct qualification spot.
The ODI series holds importance as both teams vie for vital ICC Women’s Championship points to secure direct qualification for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Article Source: IANS
