Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana believes the team’s preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be best served by batting-friendly surfaces, as the Tigers begin their white-ball buildup with a full tour of Sri Lanka. The campaign starts in Rajshahi on April 19, with a three-match ODI series followed by three T20I encounters.
Bangladesh’s view: build the habits of scoring
Speaking ahead of the first match, Sultana underlined that the timing of the programme—geared toward a major global event—makes it crucial to work on clean, confident batting in conditions that reward free scoring.
She said, “Since we are preparing for major tournaments, we wanted a good batting wicket where the batters can play freely and score runs.” The skipper added that building momentum with the bat is a key priority: “Getting used to scoring runs is extremely important.”
Rajshahi Divisional Stadium in focus
Sultana also placed confidence in the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium track, pointing to her own experience with the venue and suggesting that fans can expect high-scoring games.
- She described the Rajshahi wicket as “very good for batters.”
- Sultana expressed a desire to see both teams post big totals.
- She linked entertaining, run-heavy cricket to greater spectator interest, saying that when runs come, supporters enjoy the contest.
Sri Lanka arrive for first bilateral tour in Bangladesh
Sri Lanka, coached by Jamie Siddons, landed in Bangladesh on Friday ahead of their first bilateral series in the country.
Beyond the immediate matches, the tour is also being viewed as part of a wider push to grow women’s cricket across more than one city.
Taking women’s cricket beyond Dhaka
Sultana highlighted the importance of moving attention away from the capital, arguing that staging games in other regions can help broaden participation and strengthen local interest in the sport.
- She said, “We can’t keep everything Dhaka-centric.”
- She added that giving prominence to grounds outside the capital will encourage more people connected to the game.
With the series serving as Bangladesh’s first step in refining their lead-up plans for the World Cup, factors such as playing conditions, venue choices, and overall strategy are central to how the squad intends to build momentum going forward.
