‘Not solely based on stats’: Bangladesh name Tajnehar in T20 WC squad, target three wins

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, aiming to at least get three wins at the tournament, which is scheduled to be held in England and Wales from June 12.

Bangladesh made one change to the squad from their previous three-match WT20I series against Sri Lanka at home earlier this month, bringing in top-order batter Tajnehar in place of Sharmin Sultana.

Tajnehar’s inclusion came as a surprise, considering she has scored only 44 runs in eight WT20Is, while the 28-year-old last represented the national team in January 2025.

Chief selector Sazzad Ahmed Shipon said the selectors did not rely solely on statistics while finalising the squad.

“If you look at the stats, it’s actually very difficult for us to judge players based solely on statistics. In Bangladesh men’s Premier League, the numbers may tell one story, while in the women’s Premier League or the NCL, the statistics can be quite different,” Shipon told reporters while announcing the squad in Mirpur.

“The reason is that, for example, if there are eight teams playing in the Premier League, usually only two or three teams are relatively strong, while the other four or five teams are not as competitive.

“So, if we rely only on statistics, it becomes very difficult for us to select the team. That’s why we have to go a bit deeper. We need to assess who has better prospects, who has better technique, and who can provide better service for the team in the future. Along with that, we also have to consider factors like fitness and fielding ability. We have to evaluate all of these aspects together when selecting the team. It’s definitely a tough task,” he said.

Shipon also said Bangladesh are aiming to win at least three matches in the tournament.

“In the World Cup, we have five matches, excluding the two practice matches. Out of those five matches, we are hopeful that we can win three. Our main targets are the matches against the Netherlands, Pakistan, and South Africa. We are working very hard with a strong focus on these three games, and I believe these are matches we should be able to win,” he added.

The same squad will also feature in a tri-series involving Scotland and the Netherlands in Edinburgh before heading to Loughborough for their World Cup warm-up matches. They will depart for Edinburgh on May 25.  

Bangladesh, who are in Group A alongside Australia, India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and South Africa, will open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on June 14 at Edgbaston.

Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana Joty (captain), Nahida Akter (vice-captain), Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna, Marufa Akter, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, and Tajnehar.