Bangladesh’s women’s selection group has made a notable change to its plans for the near-term international schedule, with experienced opener Fargana Haque Pinky left out ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in England, which begins in June. Speaking on Saturday, Sazzad Ahmed Shipon, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s women’s wing chief selector, confirmed that Pinky is not considered for the squad that will face Sri Lanka in the next stage of Bangladesh’s build-up.
With that decision in place, the national panel has handed Sarmin Sultana her first-ever call-up in T20I cricket. Sarmin has been included in Bangladesh’s 15-member squad for the three-match WT20I series against Sri Lanka, a contest that also serves as an important opportunity for the team to evaluate opening options before the World Cup.
Shipon explained the thinking behind the selection by saying that Pinky is not part of the team’s projected XI or squad plans for the T20 World Cup, and therefore will not be selected for the series versus Sri Lanka. He added that, ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh are assessing which players can handle the role at the top of the order, including additional opener responsibilities, and are keeping those who are available and in touch with the group.
For Sarmin, the call-up arrives after a long wait at the top level. She returned to Bangladesh’s national WODI setup in the just-finished series against Sri Lanka after a break of about six-and-a-half years. However, her impact in that run of matches was limited, with 42 runs coming across three games.
Earlier performances in other recent competitions have shown glimpses of potential. In February, Sarmin scored 93 runs in five matches at the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars. She also made 40 runs in three matches for the Bangladesh Emerging team during their series against South Africa last year.
Beyond those international and developmental appearances, Sarmin has also been productive in domestic T20 cricket. The 32-year-old amassed 126 runs in seven innings in the Rajshahi National Cricket League, a spell that has helped keep her on the selectors’ radar.
Even so, Shipon stressed that the team management’s reasoning is not limited to raw numbers. He said the approach is to value Sarmin’s aggressive style of batting, particularly because Bangladesh sometimes find themselves spending too long against the clock, leading to a lot of dot balls. The plan, he suggested, is to generate momentum early—especially in the power play—so that batting can be steadier during the middle overs for players like Joty or Supta.
The WT20I series against Sri Lanka is scheduled to start on April 28, with the remaining matches on April 30 and May 2. All games will be staged at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, with the first ball set for 1:30 pm.
Bangladesh Women’s WT20I squad: Nigar Sultana (captain), Nahida Akter (vice-captain), Dilara Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Sharmin Akter Supta, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sarmin Sultana, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Shanjida Akther Maghla and Juairiya Ferdous.
