5 March - Dunedin - Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana post-match press conference
Reporter: Hard luck, could you talk to us a little bit about the experience of playing in the World Cup for the first time and was it everything that you thought it would be?
Nigar: Yeah I think it was great – we had a good start by the bowlers and it felt like this is our chance where we could do better, and got South Africa on a decent total, so we were planning about that, that if we could execute our batting plan very well, then the result could be another thing, but there are still a lot of positive sides that our openers got a very good start and I think there are a lot of experienced players over there, so we could implement our gameplan in the next match.
Reporter: Thank you and could you just talk to us a little bit about your left arm bowler there – Fariha Trisna, she had a great performance and a career best there, was that kind of what you expected from her and how did she handle the pressure?
Nigar: Yeah she is very talented and very young and actually she just wanted to bowl in the right area, she is always talking about – I told her – just hit the right area, you don’t need to do anything else and she did the right thing I think and hopefully she will do it in the next matches as well.
Roney: Joty, tough luck. What do you think like a big opportunity missed? Especially after the bowlers' good performance and good fielding.
Nigar: Yes, of course. I would say that the bowlers gave us a very good start. And we managed to restrict South Africa to a very decent total. And we got a very good start in batting too. Even after getting a decent start, we have lost three or four very valuable wickets in the middle overs. That's why we couldn't form a good partnership and eventually, we saw that the match went out of our hands at the end.
Roney: The opening was good in batting, 69 runs were enough but it was a bit slow. One thing was like Murshida did very well in qualifying matches in Zimbabwe in the opening position. After that, she also did very well in the selection round in Malaysia. If Murshida was in the opening she could bring a little tree-flowing start but what is the reason for bringing her down in the batting order?
Nigar: It was inside our plan. Because we have been watching Murshida's batting for the last few days. She was not so comfortable in that position. When we played among us in practice matches then also Murshida was not that much down the order. When she batted in 2nd down, I think she did well in the practice matches. So from that perspective, our plan was that we would place her there. And I think she couldn't do the batting today as per the quality she has. But I believe she will definitely be able to do that in the next match.
Roney: Best of luck for the next match. [Thank you.]
Bappy: When Bangladesh started the game with a target of 208 runs then they didn't give us any wicket till 69 runs, but after that, we lost 6 wickets within 44 runs. So what do you think, who has the responsibility for that? You yourself have played 69 balls as a captain, still, we could not make it. Who has the responsibility for that? And another question is after seeing the performance of this match, do you think that we can win a match in this world cup?
Nigar: Yes, of course. Our bowlers have done a great job.
Even after getting a good start, we lost a lot of wickets in the middle overs. But in that case, I think we should have played taking a bit more time. Because if we had gone to play early shots then there would not be a situation like playing till the end. So, that's why we were taking time. I will say this on my behalf. And basically, I would say that those of us who are batting in the middle order, who are actually the finishers, couldn't actually play that game today. Which is probably why our match was like this. Since we have done well on the bowling side, I think our batters have potential. So If we can play good cricket as we intend to play in the next matches, I think we can show better cricket than this.
Bappy: Best of luck Joty. [Thank you.]
Reporter: Hard luck, could you talk to us a little bit about the experience of playing in the World Cup for the first time and was it everything that you thought it would be?
Nigar: Yeah I think it was great – we had a good start by the bowlers and it felt like this is our chance where we could do better, and got South Africa on a decent total, so we were planning about that, that if we could execute our batting plan very well, then the result could be another thing, but there are still a lot of positive sides that our openers got a very good start and I think there are a lot of experienced players over there, so we could implement our gameplan in the next match.
Reporter: Thank you and could you just talk to us a little bit about your left arm bowler there – Fariha Trisna, she had a great performance and a career best there, was that kind of what you expected from her and how did she handle the pressure?
Nigar: Yeah she is very talented and very young and actually she just wanted to bowl in the right area, she is always talking about – I told her – just hit the right area, you don’t need to do anything else and she did the right thing I think and hopefully she will do it in the next matches as well.
Reporter: [Bangla 05:00]
Anisha: Hello! If you could just tell about the background of Fariha Trisna who was your best performer today. As we know, she came from Panchagarh (a district in Bangladesh), maybe 19 years old. Is there anyone else from that part of Bangladesh or what is your cricketing culture there? I mean, how she's adjusting with your team, if you can just talk about her background, please.
Nigar: No, Trisna is basically, although she's from Panchagarh, she is actually from, if you know the name, Bangladesh Sports Education Institute, a big cricket institution in Bangladesh, and she is a very talented player. She also did camping in the under-19s. The cricket board tried to nurse her in the camp. And she always waited for the opportunity so that she could utilize it when she got the chance. She is very good and always a good learner. She works hard on the net. Coaches always keep faith in her. Trisna always tries to go on a simple game plan. She always tries to bowl in her own place and deliver her best performance for the team.
Anisha: If I can ask another question, the support staff, and the coaching staff that you have, there are all Bangladeshi coaches because after Anju Jain's departure, I think, you were looking for a foreign head coach but you didn't get one. What does it feel like to work with these Bangladeshi coaches, what is the experience like? And what are the next steps you are looking for, do you want a full-time foreign coach after the world cup or do you think your team can improve further if you continue to work in such a setup?
Nigar: Obviously, We feel that the coaching staff that we have and we trust them. They are doing a great job with us. Since we've been with them for a long time, they understand us better now. In-field and out-field if you say, they really understand our needs very well. Since we were once under a foreign coach. And now we have (Bangladeshi coaches), I think it also gives a lot of benefits in terms of communication. Because we speak the same language, they understand us better. That is a fact. And I think that's the way they've been working with us for the last time, and we're continually doing well under them and they're working hard. And of course, in the future, we and the cricket board will keep trust in them.
Anisha: Thank you, captain. If you can say that the opportunity you are getting, also you have said before that Bangladesh Women's Cricket will give more opportunities maybe if you (perform well), I mean, your participation itself is a huge thing. But as Romana Ahmed said on many occasions, in Bangladesh or the subcontinent, women do not have such opportunities. So do you see that you can make a path, you can be an example through which not only cricket but also in other (sports) world, your World Cup participation can create an impact, whatever is the result whether it’s a defeat or victory?
Nigar: Of course, I think this is an opportunity for us. As the matches are being televised in the whole of Bangladesh and in the whole Asia, a lot of people are watching our games. Because of this, the fan base is being created day by day. And Bangladesh is a cricket-loving Country. So, the matches we are playing, will encourage and motivate a lot of young players who always try to represent the country sometime, and dream to become a cricketer. Of course, our goal is to try to represent the country as much as we can. Because I think each of our players is our cricket ambassador. The way we represent our country, the way we represent cricket, and the way we're trying to represent ourselves in front of the whole world, will make a lot of new young talented players come ahead and they will be very much encouraged.
Anisha: Thank you very much, Captain, good luck with the rest of the matches. [Thanks.]