Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana to Take Post-World Cup Break to Address Injury and Workload
Bangladesh women’s cricket team captain Nigar Sultana has announced that she will take a break from competitive cricket following the conclusion of the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup, citing the need to manage her workload and recover from ongoing injuries.
According to Sazzad Ahmed, Chief Selector of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) women’s wing, Sultana will skip the National Cricket League (NCL), which is scheduled after the World Cup. "She will not take part in the NCL after the World Cup as she wants to work on her fitness as well as make sure she recovers from her injuries," Sazzad told Cricbuzz.
It is understood that Sultana is managing knee and thumb issues, raising some concerns about her fitness going into the global tournament. Addressing these concerns during the pre-World Cup press conference, Sultana acknowledged the physical toll of her packed playing schedule.
"Every player deals with a lot of things, and for me it’s the same. I always try to overcome everything and keep myself fit enough because I feel batting is an important area. After keeping for 50 overs, if I think about scoring big, I need to stay fit," said Sultana.
"To make that happen, you need to take some decisions. Recently, I’ve made decisions that help me feel fitter."
The Bangladesh captain has been playing continuous cricket for the past six months, prompting her to reevaluate her playing schedule.
"I think it is high time for players to understand workload – how much we should play so that we remain available for the next international series and can perform well. That is the reason I am taking this decision," she added.
Sultana emphasized that her top priority is national duty, stating that playing through injuries could harm the team in the long run. She is expected to work with a personal trainer during her time away from competitive cricket to regain full fitness.
Concerns Over Lack of Match Practice
Bangladesh’s World Cup preparations have come under scrutiny, with the team not having played international cricket in the last six months. Instead, they participated in practice matches against Under-15 boys’ teams during the BCB-organized Challenge Cup.
Responding to concerns about the team’s readiness, Sultana explained that the matches were not played by the full national squad and acknowledged the need for more consistent international exposure.
"You are talking about standards. If you play cricket on a regular basis, you can understand the graph of standard. But we are playing a series and then not playing anything for three to four months. To maintain that standard, we need to play more international cricket," she said.
Despite the challenges, Sultana remains focused on leading her side strongly at the World Cup and hopes that the break afterward will allow her to return in peak condition for future assignments.