Sports Reporter :
The Tigresses will take on Scotland National Women’s Cricket team in the inaugural match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (WC) today at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The match will start at 4:00pm (Bangladesh Standard Time). Captain of Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket team Nigar Sultana will lead the Tigresses, while Captain of Scotland National Women’s Cricket team Kathryn Bryce will lead her team.
Private satellite channel Nagorik TV will telecast the game live. A total of 10 teams splitting into two groups are taking part in the gala extravaganza for female cricketers of the world. Bangladesh, Scotland, England, West Indies and South Africa are in Group-B, while Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are in Group-A.
Before today’s match, Bangladesh and Scotland faced each other in the four Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Of them, the Tigresses won all the occasions.
Bangladesh played two warm-up matches before taking part in their opening match of the World Cup.
Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka by 33 runs in their first warm-up match at ICC Academy Ground in Dubai of UAE on September 28.
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in their second warm-up match at the same venue on September 30.
Nigar Sultana said, “I will say, it is much more important for the whole team (this season) because we have played as many World Cups; We couldn’t do much to say except for 2014. It is more important for us because we want this World Cup to be one to be reckoned with and one to remember.”
Like Nigar Sultana, Head Coach of Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket team Hashan Tillakaratne is confident of a winning start. He said, “Everyone is looking towards this tournament.
If anybody looks at the two warm-up matches, he or she will watch, the first one did not go as expected, the girls played very well in the second one against Pakistan. The tournament is positive for Bangladesh. Girls are very confident. They look forward to tomorrow’s match. The momentum starts from the first match. It is very important that we play our best game and bring positive results. I am sure the girls are confident.”
Bangladesh National Women’s squad: Nigar Sultana (Captain), 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 and Disha Biswas.
Scotland National Women’s squad: Kathryn Bryce (Captain), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce , Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey and Rachel Slater.