The Bangladesh women's cricket team has been busy preparing for the three-match ODI series against Ireland in Mirpur for the past few days. Not much is known about the plans for the series due to the 'closed door' practice. The visiting Irish practiced at the Sherebangla Stadium yesterday despite separate arrangements at the BCB Academy ground.
However, the Ireland women's cricket team canceled a pre-scheduled practice this morning and spent time in a hotel. However, the Bangladesh team has started practice. Marufa Akhter, the team's young pacer, spoke to the media before the start of preparations at noon. Regarding the preparation and the series, he said, 'Our preparation is going well. We will try to win all three matches in the series. With the World Cup ahead, winning this series is our main goal.'
20-year-old pacer Marufa's international career started with a bang. On his debut against New Zealand in 2022, he caught attention with his instinctive bowling and variety. However, although his performance has been average in recent times, he said that he is working hard to do better. According to Marufa, 'I am trying. But how I am trying is personal to me. My personal goals in the series remain secret, always secret.'
Many of the Ireland women's cricketers play county cricket regularly. Marufa is confident that they will not be a big threat for Bangladesh even though they are in a good position in terms of experience and skills. He said, 'We have played some good matches in the World Cup or before. Although I haven't played against Ireland personally, I will try to play good cricket as a new experience.'
Bangladesh women's team has previously played series against teams like Australia, India and Pakistan at home. But no significant improvement was seen. A four-match losing streak has put them under pressure in 2024. To secure a direct spot in the World Cup, all three matches of this series must be won. However, Marufa is optimistic about this, 'We are trying hard, working hard. One day I will succeed in trying.'
