Bangladesh women's cricket - The journey so far

There is no denying that Bangladesh has made great strides in different socio-economic indexes and that's why, women are breaking the ceiling glass nowadays by choosing career paths that are socially recognized as men's jobs.

In the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, the progress of women in any sector is highly lauded. And if it is a sports category like cricket where opportunities for girls are very limited and at the same time, it requires significant physical and mental efforts, strategic supremacy and perseverance; then we cannot but get astonished when we see a bunch of audacious girls holding the flag of our country high and making us proud in front of the world.

The silver lining is that, despite limited opportunities, our girls have made it to the international arena and brought home a number of laurels for the countrymen. In fact, whatever achievements our country has made in cricket so far, most of them have come home through the national women's cricket team.

The journey of Bangladesh women's national cricket team started in the near past. In 2007, Bangladesh's girls began their pursuits in cricket as an international team. They participated in the ACC Women's Tournament in the same year and put up a very good show. Then, in 2011, the team achieved one-day international (ODI) status. Exactly 10 years after that, in 2021, Bangladesh women's national cricket team achieved test playing status.

The ICC Women's World T20, held in 2014, was the first major international tournament in which the national women's cricket team participated. The tournament was organized in Bangladesh. After that, the women's team stunned the whole world by achieving the huge milestone of winning the 2018 Women's T20 Asia Cup. They participated in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2022. In this way, Bangladesh women's national cricket team has been slowly climbing the ladder of success since 2007, despite various adversities. Riding out all obstacles, our girls slowly carved a niche for themselves in the hearts of a cricket-loving nation.  

Bangladesh's girls kept adding feathers to their cap. The women's cricket team won the gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games. And before that, they won silver medals in two Asian Games, i.e. in 2010 and 2014. They also won the bronze medal in the 2022 Asian Games. Being at the forefront of these highly competitive international events is the reflection of consistent and outstanding efforts by our girls. Also, our national women's cricket team owns the pride of being the 2018, 2019 and 2022 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier Champions.

Usually, when cricket, football or any such sports are mentioned in Bangladesh, it is thought that these are only men's turf. However, all the remarkable achievements we have in our cricket arena so far have been brought home by our girls. Yet, our women's cricket team is often neglected and deprived of due privileges. There is no opportunity for girls to practice sports at school or college, district-upazila or club-level. Opportunities are also very scarce for the girls to show their latent talent and skill or rise to the national level. There are also stark discriminations in pay and match fees for those who play in women's national team. These issues have been debated ad nauseum, but to no avail.

Despite many layers of challenges and difficulties in their personal and family lives, our girls are bringing honor for the country, overcoming various social barriers and discriminations in the sports sector. However, some motivation and incentives could have made their journey smoother. In women's cricket, it is often difficult to get sponsors. As a result, common people often do not get the chance to witness and be a part of the great victories snatched away by our brave girls. However, concerted efforts and participation from the private sector can make it possible, while creating an opportunity for all to cheer our girls up. Keeping such zeal in mind, the country's leading OTT streaming platform Toffee is broadcasting the ICC Women's Twenty20 World Cup.

If the government and private organizations of the country come forward and take initiatives unitedly, maybe it will be possible to increase the participation of women in all other sports including cricket.

Cross-sections of people are highly anticipating for reforms in all the sectors. The sports sector is not out of it. And only if proper reforms are brought about in this sector, it will be possible for the Bangladesh women's national cricket team to move forward and bring more glory and honor for the country. It's time that our girls are given more priority and granted necessary amenities so that they get the chance to bloom to their full glory.