With just 110 days left before the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 gets underway in India and Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh women’s cricket team stands at a precarious crossroads. Unlike their global counterparts—busy fine-tuning strategies through competitive series—Bangladesh’s Tigresses remain confined to home-based skill and fitness camps. What should have been a period of momentum-building has turned into a frustrating wait for opportunity, raising alarm bells about the team’s readiness and the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) planning.
Despite scraping through the qualifiers in Pakistan this April—clinching the final World Cup berth thanks to a narrow Net Run Rate margin over West Indies—their path has been anything but smooth. The lack of international exposure, coupled with a stagnant preparation calendar, casts a long shadow over the Tigresses’ chances on the biggest stage.
Opening up about the concerns within the camp, vice-captain Nahida Akter didn’t mince her words when addressing the implications of inadequate preparation, “Whatever work you do, if your preparation isn’t up to the mark, you won’t get the expected result,” said Nahida, capturing the frustration within the dressing room.
As the squad gears up for yet another two-week skill camp in Mirpur from June 13, it’s evident that this wasn’t the original plan. The camp’s very existence stems from delayed communication with other boards, further underlining the lack of foresight in the BCB’s approach.
Continuing her take on the challenges, Nahida highlighted how the team remains sidelined while others stay engaged in high-stakes series, “All the teams are currently playing, and we also want to play matches. But as all the teams are currently busy, I think that’s why the board is finding it hard to arrange international matches before the World Cup,” she explained.
To keep herself sharp, she plans to utilize the Bangladesh Women’s Cricket League scheduled in August and attend national camps—one of the few preparatory avenues left for the players.
Opener Farzana Hoque Pinky, another key figure in the squad, emphasized the importance of more structured and strategic training schedules leading up to a tournament as monumental as the World Cup, “After the World Cup qualifiers, we are taking preparation for the main event by doing skill and fitness camps. But, still, international matches are international matches. If we can play one or two series before the World Cup, we can have better preparation,” she said.
Her sentiments ring true: regardless of domestic camps, nothing substitutes the intensity and unpredictability of actual match play.
Farzana didn’t stop at match exposure. She also pointed out a glaring gap in the team’s development setup—lack of full-time specialist coaches, “If we can do quality practice, we can expect to do better. The World Cup isn’t an easy place to perform. If we are more organised with our preparation, it would have been better,” she added, stressing the need for dedicated batting, bowling, and fielding coaches.
Currently, head coach Sarwar Imran leads the support staff with assistance from batting coach Nasiruddin Faruque, spin coach Humayun Kabir Shahin, and pace coach Alamgir Kabir. However, the absence of full-time specialists leaves much to be desired.
Responding to these rising concerns, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, chairman of BCB’s women’s wing, acknowledged the importance of match practice but insisted that efforts are ongoing to find solutions, “Arranging international matches was important as it could give a similar vibe as part of World Cup preparation. We are still trying to arrange something differently, like playing against a top team’s B side. But nothing is confirmed yet,” Fahim admitted.
Though these words may offer a glimmer of hope, time is ticking—and the World Cup waits for no one.
Bangladesh’s international calendar paints a bleak picture of their World Cup build-up. Since January 1, 2024, the Tigresses have featured in just 14 ODIs. That number includes the five crucial games at the April 2025 Qualifier in Lahore. Before that, they played three ODIs against Australia at home in March 2024—matches they lost 0-3 but which offered young players invaluable exposure. In November 2024, they beat Ireland 3-0 at home, but the eight-month gap between the Australia and Ireland series is definitely not something they wanted.
The next series came in January 2025 in the Caribbean, where Bangladesh lost 2-1 to West Indies. That defeat proved decisive, relegating them to the Qualifier route. In Lahore, they managed three wins in five games and qualified by the slimmest of Net Run Rate margins—0.013.
Bangladesh’s isolation becomes starker when compared to global activity. South Africa are currently touring the West Indies and have another series lined up against Pakistan. India will play England away and host Australia just before the World Cup. England themselves wrapped up a series against the West Indies and are preparing to face India. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are stuck at the drawing board—hoping for fixtures, clinging to fitness drills.
Bangladesh’s journey to the Women’s World Cup has been marked by resilience, grit, and untapped potential. But the lack of game-time, strategic planning, and exposure threatens to undo all the progress. The Tigresses have already fought hard to earn their spot in the top eight. Now, they deserve the tools—and the matches—to prove they belong there. The countdown to the World Cup has begun. It’s time for the BCB to stop watching and start acting.
(Quotes sourced from The Daily Star)
