Womens cricket to reach new heights
BCB chalks out comprehensive development plans
Md Abu Talha Sarker
Buoyed by the recent success in Asia Cup, Ireland series and the ICC World T20 qualifiers on the trot, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stepped up their activities for the development of womens cricket. The BCB has chalked out a comprehensive plan for womens cricket so that it can flourish at the same pace as that of male cricket players of Bangladesh.
The BCB will introduce a BCL-like tournament for womens cricket from the upcoming season of the Bangladesh cricket calendar as a first step towards a longer version. This year, they will be limited to a two-day affair and gradually transformed into a three-dayer in the next season, depending on the response and success of the maiden season. Afterwards, the board will make it a full-fledged longer-version cricket tournament in the next two years.
Nazmul Abedin Fahim, the team operating manager (TOM) of BCB womens cricket, revealed this to The Independent at his office of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
We plan to start a BCL-like tournament for women cricketers. They usually play in the National Cricket League (NCL), which is a 50-over tournament. We plan to form four zonal teams for the tournament that will continue for two days, said Nazmul Abedin Fahim.
Itll be a beginning of their longer version cricket. The women cricketers have never played such a tournament. Itll be the first step for them before heading into the full-fledged longer version of the game, he added.
In this way, itll proceed. If they do well, we can then convert it into three-dayers in the next season. It will be gradually swapped, he added.
Fahim also said that they would soon form another new set-up for womens cricket which will act as the backup of the national team.
Well start our training and call a good number of players to pick the talented ones for a new set-up after forming the national team. Actually, were trying to form a Bangladesh A team for a back-up of the national team, he explained.
Fahim also said that they would arrange a series for them so that they could develop their skills and techniques to handle pressure situations during matches.
We went to India last December for an A team tour as part of a reciprocal tour. Now, theyll come here, though the date has not been fixed yet. Weve plans to organise some more series for this new set-up. It would be better for us if we are able to arrange those series for them besides the national team, he added.
Well keep national and A team players in this camp. Hopefully, we will get two separate teams after two months, he said.
When asked about the Test status for womens team, Fahim said that high-stake discussions are on in the ICC, where it is being said that Bangladesh has earned the quality to attain another level.
Our board will work on this. Our job is to play better cricket and make sure that we continue to do so in days to come as a team, he added.
Day by day, we will try to achieve Test status as early as possible. If we attain the status, we will be able to play Test cricket with top-notch teams on a regular basis, he said. Fahim said their immediate target is to bring a World Cup-playing nation as part of their world cup preparation.
Talks are going on and it is almost confirmed, he added.
He also said that they would play T20 matches to prepare better for the upcoming World Cup.
Well go to the Caribbean Islands to play ICC Womens T20 World Cup at least 10 days before the extravaganza. Well play some practice matches with local teams, besides the ICC-scheduled warm-up matches, he added.
