The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Sunday recalled the experienced duo of Rumana Ahmed and Jahanara Alam to their national squad for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from July 19-28.
Rumana last represented Bangladesh during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February 2023, while Jahanara last played for Bangladesh during a three-match away T20I series against Sri Lanka in May 2023.
“This will be our last competitive tournament before the World Cup, so we opted for a few changes for this tournament,” BCB’s women’s wing chief selector Sazzad Ahmed said following the announcement of the squad on Sunday.
“Rumana and Jahanara were out of the national team for almost a year.
The kind of performance they had in the premier league was quite outstanding.
We wanted to make a balanced team with experienced, talented, and young cricketers.
Their premier league performance also helped us in building the team,” he added.
Both senior cricketers were picked after showcasing magnificent performances during the recently concluded Dhaka Premier Division Women’s Cricket League 2023-24.
Rumana made 241 runs and took 17 wickets for champions Mohammedan Sporting Club, while Jahanara, who represented Abahani Limited, finished with the highest wickets (25) in the tournament.
Apart from these two cricketers, the Bangladesh Cricket Board also included uncapped opening batter Ishma Tanjim and left-arm spinner Sabikun Nahar Jesmin in their 15-member squad for the tournament.
Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna, and Habiba Islam Pinky, who were part of the Bangladesh squad in their last home T20I series against India in April, failed to retain their places in the squad.
Bangladesh, drawn in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand, will start their campaign against the hosts on July 20 before facing Thailand and Malaysia in their remaining group matches on July 22 and 24, respectively, all scheduled in Dambulla.
India, Pakistan, Nepal, and UAE are in Group A.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, scheduled for July 26, while the final will take place on July 28.
Bangladesh squad:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Nigar Sultana Joty (Captain) |
| Nahida Akter (Vice Captain) |
| Murshida Khatun |
| Dilara Akter |
| Rumana Ahmed |
| Ritu Moni |
| Marufa Akter |
| Jahanara Alam |
| Rabeya Khan |
| Sultana Khatun |
| Rubya Haider Jhelik |
| Shorna Akter |
| Ishma Tanzim |
| Sabikun Nahar Jesmin |
| Shorifa Khatun |
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