Joty hopeful T20 World Cup can be powerful tool for unity in Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty has opened up with her thoughts ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Bangladesh were originally set to host the international tournament, before it was moved to the United Arab Emirates on security grounds.

And while Joty has spoken of her disappointment at the event having to be moved, she believes that the Tigers can still use their campaign as a chance to bring something positive to a country that is recovering from the unrest.

“The potential impacts of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup stretch far beyond the pitch for Bangladesh,” Joty said.

“Initially, we thought we were going to get the chance to host the prestigious tournament, but circumstances out of our control within Bangladesh meant this was not to be.

“Playing in front of a home crowd at an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a dream very few cricketers will get to experience. We felt very fortunate to be lined up as the host nation and when arrangements were forced to change, it hit the team hard.

“It was a disappointment not just to us, but our family, friends and the fans, who were all making plans to watch us on home soil.

“That said, this T20 World Cup nevertheless comes at a perfect time for our nation. 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, with the emotion of the sport acting as an incredible tool for unity. If we perform well here, it will definitely have a positive impact on the Bangladeshi people.”

Bangladesh make up part of an intriguing Group B, where they will hope to spring a few upsets and make it into the knockout stages.

England, Scotland, South Africa and West Indies make up the remainder of the group, and Sultana is hoping to experience that winning World Cup feeling during the course of the four fixtures.

“We may not be the tournament hosts but that does not change our goal. We want to make this memorable.

“It is a huge opportunity for the team, playing this kind of event in front of the world, to show the talent and the potential we have.

“Individually, this will be my fourth T20 World Cup for Bangladesh, but I’m yet to win a game – so first and foremost, as a team or as an individual player, my goal is to get a win.

“That will give us momentum we can use throughout the tournament as we try and push for a semi-final spot.

“We are in a tough group with Scotland, England, West Indies and South Africa, but we feel in a great position coming into the tournament.”

Bangladesh suffered a disappointing defeat to Sri Lanka in their first warm-up match after arriving in the UAE, but responded well with a victory over Pakistan that will give them hope going into the tournament proper.

“The girls have shown incredible spirit after the loss to Sri Lanka and bounced back remarkably, playing really well in our last warm-up game against Pakistan.

“We feel this is a fantastic opportunity to show what we are made of, but we are under no illusions that if we want to be in the semi-finals, we need to be on top form from the outset, starting with our opener against Scotland.

“The hot and humid conditions in the UAE will no doubt be a challenge, not just for us but for every team,” Sultana continued. “Our warm-up sessions have been encouraging, though, and the ball is coming on to the bat very nicely.

“While these conditions do not cater for spin as much as those of Bangladesh, spin is still proving a factor, which is good for us. Whether it be a leg-spinner, off-spinner, left-arm spinner or fast bowler, our bowlers are very versatile so spin could do the trick for us.

“At the end of the day, this kind of tournament for women’s cricket is all about runs. The more runs scored, the more spectators will come and watch.

“So even if the conditions are favourable to batters, every team will get the same advantages and that will be reflected on the scoreboard.

“We should get some great, high-scoring games to draw more attention to the T20 World Cup, which can only be a good thing for our game.”

Bangladesh begin their tournament against Scotland in Sharjah on Wednesday.