Nigar Sultana Steps Back for a Well-Deserved Break Post World Cup

Bangladesh’s captain, Nigar Sultana, announced on Monday her decision to take a break after the World Cup to better manage her workload. Sazzad Ahmed, the women’s wing chief selector for the Bangladesh Cricket Board, informed Cricbuzz that Sultana would forgo participation in the upcoming National Cricket League to focus on improving her fitness and addressing injury concerns.

“She will not participate in the NCL following the World Cup as she intends to focus on her fitness and ensure full recovery,” said Sazzad.

Cricbuzz has learned that she is facing issues with her knee and thumb. Her request to skip the NCL raised some concerns, suggesting she might not be entering the World Cup at full fitness. Sultana clarified her position during the pre-World Cup press conference.

“Every player faces challenges, and it’s the same for me. I always strive to overcome these and maintain my fitness because batting is critical, especially after keeping wickets for 50 overs. If I wish to achieve big scores, I need to ensure I am fit,” expressed Sultana. “To accomplish this, certain decisions are necessary, and I’ve made some recently that help me feel fitter.”

“The reason for taking a break from cricket post-World Cup is that I’ve been consistently playing over the past six months. It’s crucial for players to understand their workload – knowing how much to play so that they remain available and perform well in the next international series. That’s why I’ve made this decision,” she added.

“My top priority is my national duties, and if I can’t be fit, it will negatively impact the team,” she said.

Sultana plans to work with a personal trainer during her break from competitive cricket. She also downplayed concerns regarding Bangladesh not having played international cricket in the past six months and their losses to Under-15 boys as part of their preparation.

While other international teams played against each other, Bangladesh had to contend with matches against Under-15 boys in the Challenge Cup, organized by the BCB as part of the team’s World Cup preparation.

“In the tournament against Under-15 boys, the full national team wasn’t involved because many players were from outside, creating different opportunities for some cricketers. The participating players couldn’t perform at their best, which affected everyone.”

“It’s about maintaining standards. Playing regular cricket helps gauge this, but if there’s a gap of three to four months between matches, it hampers our standards. More international matches would be beneficial for us,” she noted.