‘Could not offer same facilities to women cricketers’

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan reiterated that the board could not manage to provide the same quality of facilities that the men's team were afforded, three days prior to the Tigresses' departure for Australia on Sunday for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

The women's side, who are set to board their flight on Sunday evening, took part in a photo session today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday. Nazmul said there were expectations this time around as Bangladesh are the Asian champions.

"There are good expectations. While I won't say that the performances have been really good, but it's not bad either. We're Asian champions. We can't deny that the same facilities were not afforded to the women's side that were availed for men's cricket," Nazmul said.

The Tigresses failed to win any games in the last edition of the tournament played in West Indies. This time they have been placed in a strong group alongside Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The president said that more facilities were going to be given to the women cricketers while also reiterating that recent performances in India, where they clinched the Women's T20 Quadrangular series, should give them confidence.

"What I believe is that our women cricketers will bring more success in the future," he concluded.

Captain Salma Khatun was reserved about the team's chances and said: "We're hoping for good cricket and to win one or two match at the World Cup."