Bangladesh with a chance to bring a nation together in World Cup opener
Media release
The very first game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will give Bangladesh the chance to bring a nation together according to skipper Nigar Sultana.
Bangladesh will kick off the event in the United Arab Emirates against Scotland in Sharjah as they look to hit the ground running.
The tournament was due to be hosted by Bangladesh, but travel advisories from the governments of a number of participating teams meant that was not feasible.
Bangladesh has retained hosting rights, and Sultana is hopeful that some good performances from the team can bring together the country’s cricket supporters back home.
She said: “The situation is getting better and better in Bangladesh, and we can add to the swell in positivity through cricket.
“Bangladesh is a crazy nation when it comes to cricket. If we perform well here, it will definitely have a good impact on the Bangladeshi people.
“We may not be the tournament hosts but that does not change our goal. We want to make this memorable.
“It's the biggest opportunity for the team, playing this kind of event in front of the world, showing the talent and the potential we have.”
Drawn alongside Scotland, England, South Africa and the West Indies, Bangladesh face a tough schedule to reach the semi-finals for the first time.
Sultana will lead them in her fourth T20 World Cup, still searching for a first victory in the competition.
Scotland will be looking to ensure that does not happen in the opener, led by standout all-rounder Kathryn Bryce.
The Scots impressed a warm-up victory over Pakistan and will now look to imitate that against a Bangladeshi side they know well.
Bryce said: “We have played Bangladesh a few times in recent years. It’s a really exciting game to start with, and we have an idea of what to expect from them, which is great. It’s also really cool to be playing in the very first game of the tournament.
“We are not going to change too much about what has made us successful to this point. Our strength is the way we can attack during the middle overs.
“It is not necessarily about going out all guns blazing. Our aim is to build in the first phase and then try to dominate the middle overs. We want to find the boundaries to keep our opposition under pressure.”
ENDS