In just four days, the Women's Asia Cup will commence in Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh team is set to depart for Sri Lanka on Tuesday afternoon. Ahead of their departure, Tigresses' captain Nigar Sultana Joty shared their goals at a press conference held yesterday (Monday) at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. She expressed the emotional significance of the Asia Cup for the women cricketers and highlighted how the tournament will serve as preparation for the World Cup.
Joty remarked, "The Asia Cup holds a special place in our hearts. Since winning the Asia Cup in 2018, there has been a significant revolution in women's cricket in Bangladesh. This tournament is a great opportunity for us to fine-tune our skills ahead of the World Cup."
The team, led by Joty, struggled to show fighting spirit in their recent home series against Australia and India. Addressing this, the Bangladesh captain said, "The last two series were disappointing as we couldn't win a single match. We had a long break after that, during which we played domestic cricket. We have included players who performed well in those matches. In our recent camp, everyone seemed to be in good form. We are eager to play good cricket now."
Joty mentioned that their primary goal is to reach the semi-finals, "We couldn't make it to the semi-finals in the last Asia Cup. Naturally, our first goal this time is to reach the semi-finals. Our first match is crucial because we haven't been performing well for a while. We've seen some individual performances, but not as a team. To gain momentum, we need to start well against Sri Lanka in our first match." Meanwhile, senior cricketers Jahanara Alam and Rumana Ahmed have returned to the national team after a long hiatus. Joty commented on their return, "Experience always counts. Both of them played in the last two Asia Cups. Rumana has returned after a long time, and Jahanara as well. They both performed brilliantly in the recent domestic tournament. I believe their experience will have a significant impact on the team. We have seen them utilise their experience in the practice matches, which will
benefit the team."
The Women's Asia Cup will kick off in Sri Lanka on July 19 and will conclude on July 28. In Group A, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will compete, while Bangladesh's opponents in Group B are Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand. On the second day of the tournament (July 20), Joty's team will face the hosts, Sri Lanka, in their first match.
