Sports Reporter :
Captain of Bangladesh National Women’s T20 Asia Cup Nigar Sultana said, ” We want to reach the semi-finals of the upcoming Women’s T20 Asia Cup. It is our primary target. We could not reach the semi-finals of the last edition of Women’s T20 Asia Cup. So, our primary target is we want to reach the semi-finals. Our first match is very crucial. If we win the first match, it will boost up us. We could not perform a better brand of cricket for a long time. Some of our cricketers showed a satisfactory individual performance but as a team we could not display a good cricket. We want to make a good start after performing well against our first match against Sri Lanka. It will give us a momentum for the forthcoming Asia Cup.”
Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket team will leave the city for Sri Lanka today. Before taking part in the Asia Cup, Nigar Sultana spoke to the newsmen at a press conference on Monday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital’s Mirpur.
The Women’s T20 Asia Cup will be held in Dambulla in Sri Lanka from July 20 to July 28.
A total of eight teams splitting into two groups will take part in the first phase of the ninth edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand are in Group-B, while India, Pakistan, Nepal, United Arab Emirates are in Group-A.
Top two teams from each group will get the tickets of the semi-finals. The two semi-finals will be held on July 26. The winners of the semi-finals will face each other in the final. The final will take place on July 28.
Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka on July 20, the Tigresses will face Thailand on July 22, Bangladesh will meet Malaysia on July 24.
Sultana said, ” Asia Cup is a different place for emotions of the cricket for the women of Bangladesh. Bangladesh clinched the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in 2018. After that a revolution has been happened in the women’s cricket of Bangladesh. We have got an opportunity to prepare us for the imminent World Cup by taking part in the Asia Cup.”
Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket team failed to show a satisfactory performance against Australia and India in the last two series recently.
Nigar said, ” We could not perform well against Australia and India at home. After that we had a gap to compete in the international cricket. During this time we took part in the domestic cricket competitions. Those who performed well in those meets, have been included in the squad. All of us are in a good rhythm. We are eager to show a better brand of cricket.”
Meanwhile, the two senior cricketers returned to the Bangladesh Women’s Cricket squad. Jahanara Alam and Rumana Ahmed came back to the squad.
” Experience is a big factor. Jahanara Apu and Rumana Apu played the last two Asia Cups. Both of them performed well in the domestic cricket competitions. I hope they will play a key role in the forthcoming tournament,” she added.