One of five changes to the squad that competed in the Asia Cup in July is the departure of veteran all-rounder Rumana Ahmed for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. However, Taj Nehar, an uncapped top-order batsman, was called up for the first time.
Sobhana Mostary, Shathi Rani, Fahima Khatun, and Disha Biswas were also recalled from the group of candidates. The twenty-year-old all-rounder Biswas was chosen for the senior T20 World Cup last year, despite not having yet made her debut for Bangladesh. She had participated in the Under-19 T20 World Cup in January and February of 2023.
The seasoned 32-year-old legspinner Fahima has participated in 84 Twenty20 Internationals to date, 20 of which have taken place throughout the five T20 World Cups since 2014. She had lately lost her spot in the team, though, after struggling at home against Australia and India. Fahima claimed six wickets in as many games in the Women’s National Cricket League (NCL) T20 competition following her exclusion from the Asia Cup.
The NCL’s top run scorer with 284 runs at a strike rate of 151.06 was opening batsman Rani, who played in five Twenty20 Internationals last year.
Rumana Ahmed a veteran of 87 Twenty20 Internationals, was not included nevertheless, having only managed 55 runs in three innings at the NCL.
Mostary, a middle-order batsman, struggled against both Australia and India and did not fare well in the NCL, scoring just 103 runs in five innings. Chief selector Sajjad Ahmed placed Mostary at No. 3 since there weren’t many options, even though she hasn’t scored a fifty in 38 Twenty20 Internationals.
“She is a potential customer. But she hasn’t lived up to the expectations,” Sajjad remarked. There aren’t many options available to us at No 3. We made an attempt with Ishma Tanjim, but her performance was subpar and she was limited in the NCL. This is the reason we had to visit Sobhana Mostary.”
Rumana is one of four players who have been excluded from the T20 World Cup, along with Rubya Haider, Shorifa Khatun, Sabikun Nahar, and Ishma Tanjim. Despite Rumana’s 87 T20I experience, Sajjad claimed that they benched him in favour of Nehar because the former hasn’t been batting aggressively lately.
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“We selected Rumana in the Asia Cup, where, unfortunately, she didn’t perform,” he continued. “She is a middle-order bat who isn’t batting the way that is needed in T20s.”In the first of two doubleheader matches on October 3, the first day of the competition, Bangladesh takes against Scotland in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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