Bangladesh Women's Head Coach Sarwar Imran Suffers Minor Stroke Ahead of World Cup Opener

Bangladesh Women’s head coach Sarwar Imran suffered a minor stroke on Monday in Colombo, just days before the team’s opening match of the Women's World Cup against Pakistan.

According to team manager SM Golam Faiyaz, Imran had been feeling dizzy over the past few days, prompting a medical check-up. Doctors at a local hospital confirmed it was a minor brain stroke. Imran, 66, was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday and is currently recovering at the team hotel.

“(Sarwar) Imran sir was feeling dizzy a couple of days ago, and it continued on Monday. We took him to the hospital where the doctors detected he had a minor brain stroke,” Faiyaz told ESPNcricinfo.

Although eager to join the team for training on Tuesday, Imran was advised to rest for the day. “We asked sir to rest today,” Faiyaz added. “He is hopeful of going to the ground with us tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Imran was appointed head coach of the Bangladesh Women’s team in February 2025, following the departure of former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne. A veteran in Bangladesh cricket, Imran also served as head coach of the men’s team during their inaugural Test match in 2000.

Bangladesh will begin their World Cup campaign on Thursday against Pakistan in Colombo. This marks their second appearance at the tournament, having debuted in 2022 and narrowly secured qualification for this year’s edition.

The team and supporters will be hoping for Imran’s swift recovery and presence on the sidelines as they aim for a strong start to their World Cup journey.