Bangladesh opener Fargana Hoque Pinky is preparing to play a crucial role for her side in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2. Having been the team’s highest run-scorer in the 2022 edition with 173 runs in seven matches, she enters her second World Cup with both responsibility and determination.
Reflecting on Bangladesh’s build-up to the tournament, Hoque emphasised the years of hard work that have gone into this moment, “We’ve been preparing for a long time,” she said. “But ultimately, the quality of our preparation will show in the World Cup, which arrives every four years, unlike the (biennial) T20 World Cup, so we’re determined to make it count.”
That determination comes against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s mixed 2025 record so far, where they played eight internationals, winning four and losing four, including a 2-1 series defeat to West Indies.
The team’s recent matches in the Challenge Cup at Savar’s BKSP formed part of their preparation. Although the initial playing conditions were far from ideal, Hoque stressed the importance of mental resilience.
“At first, the [BKSP] wickets were too bad, but the groundsmen worked hard to make those playable,” she explained. “I’ve built the mindset that we can’t use pitches as an excuse, having played on these conditions for 15 years. Australia and New Zealand always bat on flat wickets, and that’s why their mindset is different. We must prepare by adjusting to what we get.”
This adaptability will be key when Bangladesh begin their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 2 in Colombo, a side that handed them a defeat in the qualifiers earlier this year.
When the team’s strengths and weaknesses were assessed, Hoque offered a candid self-evaluation. “Our strength is that everyone knows we can only succeed as a team, not as individuals,” she said. “(Nigar Sultana) Joty is a fantastic player, but she knows she can’t win matches alone. In our victories, contributions have come from across the side.”
Bangladesh’s results in 2025 underline that team-centric identity. Their three qualifier wins came against Thailand, Ireland, and Scotland — each featuring collective efforts rather than individual brilliance.
Hoque was equally forthright about what Bangladesh still lacks, “We don’t have a super batter striking at 100-150 to finish games single-handedly, but our spin attack is world-class. The weakness is pace, if the board invests in developing fast bowlers, we could become a much more complete side.”
Her own approach to batting has often drawn criticism for a low strike rate, a narrative shaped by career figures of 1881 ODI runs in 76 matches at a strike rate of 51.59. In the 2025 World Cup Qualifiers, while she was Bangladesh’s third highest run-scorer with 152 runs in three matches (including a 57), her strike rate was just 60.07, leaving questions about acceleration.
Hoque acknowledged those concerns openly, “At home, we usually play on slow, low wickets. My role is to anchor the innings. I accept I take time to settle, but my focus is always on putting the team in a strong position,” she noted.
Still, she pointed to technical improvements in recent months. “Since the West Indies tour, I’ve worked on rotating the strike and improving my powerplay batting, even taking help from personal coaches. In the qualifiers, you could see progress; especially in Powerplay.”
Looking ahead to her second World Cup, Hoque set realistic yet optimistic goals, “We are going with high expectations. I won’t claim we’ll do something extraordinary, but if everyone contributes, we can achieve plenty.”
This measured confidence is informed by Bangladesh’s World Cup history: a debut in New Zealand in 2022, where they finished seventh out of eight teams with their only victory coming against Pakistan. With that same opponent awaiting them in Colombo this time, the stakes could not be clearer.
For Bangladesh, progress will depend on collective performance, with Nigar Sultana Joty and Fargana Hoque expected to lead from the front. While challenges remain, particularly in pace bowling and strike rotation, the belief within the camp is clear. The World Cup offers them not just another chance at global competition but an opportunity to show how far their cricket has come.
(Quotes sourced from The Daily Star)
