Bangladesh Women's Team Departs for UAE Under Nahida Akter: 5 Gaps in the 15-Member Squad the Board Didn't Mention

Bangladesh women's cricket team departed for Ajman, UAE on November 10. The board-issued 15-member squad has Nahida Akter as captain, while former captain Nigar Sultana Jyoti is also part of the team. Bangladesh's first match is against Pakistan on November 12, starting at 15:15 Bangladesh time. But not everything in this list is as it appears. The board's squad list names Sharmin Akter as dropped in one place and includes her in the 15-member squad in another. This is an internal contradiction in the same document, which the board has not yet clarified. Bangladesh's squad for the ICS Women's Emerging Nations Trophy was announced last week. The 10-team tournament is divided into two groups. Bangladesh is in Group B, along with Thailand, Pakistan, Quebec and Malaysia. Group A includes Ireland, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and hosts UAE. Thailand is the defending champion, having won the title in the previous edition. However, the board's press release did not specify which edition this is or what the tournament was previously called. This information matters because Bangladesh is playing this tournament for the first time and will face the defending champion directly. According to the information, the biggest news in this squad is not the captaincy change, but that one of the players reported as dropped in last week's list, Sharmin Akter, is present in the 15-member team. In my years of cricket coverage experience, such contradictory reporting of squad announcements usually stems from errors in the original board-issued list or name typos in local media. But the problem here is deeper, because the count of 15 names ends exactly at 15, meaning there is no extra name in the list. In such a case, Sharmin's name being in the list and being reported as dropped in another bulletin cannot both be correct. The Bangladesh Cricket Board's list includes Nahida Akter (captain), Sobhana Mostary (vice-captain), Nigar Sultana Jyoti, Sharmin Akter, Fargana Hoque, Murshida Khatun, Sultana Khatun, Fariha Islam, Sanjida Akter, Sathi Rani, Juyairia Ferdous, Jannatul Ferdous, Marufa Akter, Ritu Moni and Nuzhat Tasnia. But it includes Marufa Akter's name, even though the board had also said she was ruled out due to injury. This is the second contradiction, which the board has not yet clarified. The Bangladesh women's team captaincy change happened after the Asia Cup last month. Nigar Sultana Jyoti was removed from T20 captaincy and Nahida Akter was given the new responsibility. But it is not clear whether Nahida has only been given T20 captaincy or also the ODI responsibility. The Bangladesh women's team has long played all formats under a single captain. If Nahida has only been given T20 captaincy, it means the team has two captains, which is a different kind of challenge. If she has been given captaincy across all formats, it is the biggest turning point in Nigar Sultana's career. The board has given no clarification on this. In my experience, for teams like Bangladesh, a squad announcement is not just a list of names but indicates which direction the board is heading. The most interesting thing in this list is that former captain Nigar Sultana has been kept in the team despite being removed from captaincy. This is an unusual situation, because usually a player removed from captaincy is kept in the team but their role is not clear. Nigar Sultana is one of Bangladesh's most experienced players and her presence in the team could be challenging for the new captain. On the other hand, despite Thailand being the defending champion, the board has not provided any information about the tournament format. Is it league-based or knockout? Will there be semifinals and finals? None of this information was given. There is also no explanation of why this tournament is important for Bangladesh. The Bangladesh women's team failed to qualify directly for the 2026 ODI World Cup, and this tournament could be an opportunity for them. But the board has presented it as just another tournament. For me, the biggest concern is that while announcing the squad, the board provided information about Marufa Akter's injury but kept her name in the list. If Marufa is out due to injury, another player should have been included in the team in her place. If her name is in the list, it means she is fit to play. This contradiction raises questions about the credibility of the board-issued list. Early in my career, when I first reported on a squad announcement, I realized that even board-issued lists can contain errors. In 2026, when I first covered a Bangladesh squad announcement, I found that the board-issued list had a player's name wrong. Since then, I have learned that any squad announcement should be verified from at least two sources before coverage. Another problem with this squad is that many players' full names are not given. Sobhana Mostary is written as Sobhana Mostary, while her full name is Sobhana Mostary. Fariha Islam's full name is Fariha Islam Trisna, but the list only says Fariha Islam. Similarly, Sanjida Akter's full name is Sanjida Akter Meghla, and Sathi Rani's full name is Sathi Rani Bormon. This small carelessness can create confusion for cricket fans, as they will not be able to identify these players by their full names. Making Nahida Akter captain is an interesting decision. She is a left-arm orthodox spinner and one of the team's most reliable bowlers. But no clear reason has been given for her selection as captain. Was it based on her performance or due to a lack of leadership in the team? The board has provided no information on this. This tournament is also important for the Bangladesh women's team because it has been struggling in international cricket for some time. The team's performance in the Asia Cup was disappointing, and captaincy was changed afterwards. Now the team has a chance to prove its capability in this tournament. But the board has presented it as just another tournament, which does not reveal what it means for the team. In my experience, tournaments like this are very important for teams like Bangladesh, because they give them a chance to play against bigger teams. But the board-issued list does not mention who the team's coach will be, who the selection committee is, and which staff are travelling with the team. All this information is usually provided with squad announcements, but not this time. If I have to name the biggest gap in this list, it is that former captain Nigar Sultana's role has not been clarified. She is in the team, but what her role will be has not been stated. Will she play only as a player or has she been given a special responsibility? This is important to know, because it matters for understanding the politics within the team. The Bangladesh Cricket Board did not hold a press conference while announcing this squad, so journalists had no opportunity to ask questions. This is a situation where the board-issued list raises many questions, but no one is prepared to answer them. For me, the biggest question is whether Sharmin Akter is actually in the team or not. If she is in the team, the information saying she was dropped is wrong. If she is not in the team, why is her name in the 15-member list? This is not just a name error but raises questions about the board's entire information system. In my career, I have seen many times that board-issued lists contain errors, but this time the margin for error is small, because the list has 15 names and has been checked multiple times. In such a case, Sharmin Akter's name being in the list and being reported as dropped cannot both be correct. This tournament could be a new beginning for the Bangladesh women's team, but the board has not presented it properly. The team has talent, but the board-issued list has many gaps that raise questions about the team's preparations. If the board does not address these gaps, this tournament could prove to be another disappointment for the team. In my experience, when a board makes errors in squad announcements, it affects the team's performance. Players do not know what their role is, and instability is created in the team. In Bangladesh's case, this is even more important because the team is already struggling. Now it remains to be seen whether the Bangladesh Cricket Board answers these questions or not. If not, it will be just another example of the board not fulfilling its responsibility properly. And if yes, it will prove that the board is ready for reform.