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The Bangladesh national women’s cricket team are keeping themselves busy in training camps and intra-squad matches since they don’t have any international fixtures between the World Cup Qualifier and the main event. 

Nigar Sultana Joty-led team qualified for the 50-over World Cup in India and Sri Lanka—scheduled to begin on September 30—as the last team through the qualifiers held in April in Pakistan.

Since their last match on April 19 in the qualifier, they haven’t played any international matches, as there is no series scheduled in the Future Tour Programme in this window. 

Bangladesh will begin the eight-team World Cup on October 2 with the match against Pakistan in Colombo. 

Before that, they are scheduled to play two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka on September 25 and 27, respectively. 

With the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League being held before the World Cup Qualifier, there haven’t been any domestic tournaments either. 

As a result, the BCB has been arranging several fitness and skill camps in three different venues. They were in Cox’s Bazar before moving to Sylhet.

A 20-member squad is currently at the BKSP in Savar for a camp which is scheduled to run until this month. 

Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the chairman of the women’s wing and the vice-president of the BCB, said that they tried to arrange an international series but couldn’t find any ‘quality’ team. 

‘As our team qualified for the World Cup last, it was difficult to manage a series, as all the teams were busy with their international engagement,’ Fahim told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·. 

‘We could have arranged a series, though, but there were no quality teams available,’ he added. 

As a result, the BCB is taking a makeshift process to give the players some game time. 

‘There will be a three-team series. Our Under-15 boys team will play with two women’s teams,’ said Fahim. 

Before this, the women’s team played some matches among themselves when they were in Sylhet.

‘It would have been fantastic if we got some matches or series,’ a player said. ‘But that’s not in our control, and so we have to get ourselves prepared with whatever opportunity comes in our way,’ she added. 

This will be the second time Bangladesh participates in the 50-over World Cup. They only beat Pakistan while losing all the six games in the 2022 edition in New Zealand.