Bangladesh’s World Cup Report: Statement tournament for terrific Tigresses
Wins – 4
Losses – 1
Finishing position – Third in Super Six Group 1
This crop of Bangladesh youngsters are set for big things, with many of them already involved in the senior side and plenty picked in the squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup.
And their quality really shone through in their stunning and deserved win over Australia on the opening weekend – a result that had big implications on the tournament as a whole.
They can count themselves very unlucky not to have qualified for the semi-finals, missing out on net run rate after winning four of their five matches.
But the decisive loss to South Africa was a reminder that this talented group of cricketers still have learning to do in the game.
Sonali Dhulap was part of the ICC’s team on the ground in South Africa, and had this to say about her experiences working with and alongside the squad:
“Boisterous - that’s how I would describe this bunch. So many of them have made it to the senior side as well for the Women’s T20 World Cup and if you watch them in action even once, you’ll know how obvious that is. What I liked about them is the family-style bonds they formed, not only with each other but with their support staff as well. Their connections looked close.
“They were the dark horses and could have definitely made it to the semi-finals if not for that one bad day. They were so disappointed after that loss, many of them breaking down, but it was lovely to see how encouraging their manager and coach were throughout the experience, always backing them and telling me how proud they are to get a chance to shape their futures.”
Bangladesh had a number of outstanding individual performances throughout the tournament, but it was Shorna Akter who led the way with the bat.
She scored 153 runs in five matches across the campaign, averaging over 50.
Those numbers put her up amongst the very best that the were seen at the World Cup, and she clearly has a bright future.
Marufa Akter finished as the Tigresses’ leading wicket-taker with eight to her name.
The right-arm medium-fast bowler was a massive threat throughout, getting good players out and proving a real strike option for her side.
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Scotland international and ICC Mentor Abtaha Maqsood worked closely with the Bangladesh squad.
“I was honoured to have been given the opportunity to mentor Bangladesh, we’ve had the most fun so far and there’s been a lot of learning and growing from the players’ point of view. They have been hungry to soak up what has been shared and it’s been an incredible experience.”
Australia – Won by 7 wickets
Bangladesh beat Australia in any ICC event for the first time in the U19 Women's T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka – Won by 10 wickets
USA – Won by 5 wickets
South Africa – Lost by 5 wickets
UAE – Won by 5 wickets