The Bangladesh Cricket Board has officially announced that Nigar Sultana will be leading the Bangladesh squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Meanwhile, the experienced all-rounder Rumana Ahmed has been dropped from the squad along with four players who played in the Asia Cup in July. But there was a first call-up for uncapped top-order batter Taj Nehar.
Sobhana Mostary, Shathi Rani, Fahima Khatun, and Disha Biswas earned a recall. The 20-year-old allrounder Biswas, who had played in the U-19 T20 World Cup in January-February 2023 and was picked in the squad for last year’s World Cup, is yet to make her Bangladesh debut.
The 32-year-old legspinner has played 84 T20Is so far, where 20 comes from five T20 World Cups she played so far since 2014.
Bangladesh Squad for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. 🇧🇩 🫶 #BCB #Cricket #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/tol7HJc5im
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 18, 2024
She had lost her place in the squad recently when she struggled against India and Australia at home. Fahima took six wickets in as many matches in women’s National Cricket League T20 competition.
Opening batter Rani, who had five T20Is last year, was the NCL’s leading run-scorer with 284 runs at a strike rate of 151.06. However, Rumana has played 87 T20Is and missed out after scoring just 55 runs in three innings at the NCL.
Middle-order batter Mostary also had a tough time against India and Australia and managed 103 runs in five innings.
The chief selector Sajjad Ahmed has put her selection due to lack of options at No.3. “She is a prospect. However, she hasn’t performed up to the mark,” Sajjad said.
“We don’t really have a lot of options at No 3. We tried Ishma Tanjim, but she didn’t perform well, and she couldn’t do much in the NCL. That’s why we had to go to Sobhana Mostary.”
“We selected Rumana in the Asia Cup, where, unfortunately, she didn’t perform,” he said. “She is a middle-order bat who isn’t batting the way that is needed in T20s.”
Bangladesh will play their first match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Scotland on October 03 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh Squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Nigar Sultana (c), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas
