Is once-in-a-generation chance lost for Bangladesh's women?

There volition beryllium a tinge of regret for Bangladesh’s players erstwhile the Women's T20 World Cup kicks disconnected connected Thursday.

As the big nation, they should person been playing Scotland successful the tournament's opening lucifer successful beforehand of a packed-out stadium successful Dhaka.

Instead, they volition apt beryllium playing successful beforehand of a sparse assemblage successful somewhat unfamiliar conditions, with their chances of astonishment victories on the mode lessened.

It’s a acold outcry from what was envisaged conscionable a fewer months ago.

The eleventh-hour alteration of determination for the World Cup was the effect of weeks of wide governmental unrest successful Bangladesh, which yet led to the installation of an interim government.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) was near with small prime but to displacement the World Cup from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates successful precocious August.

The deficiency of instrumentality and bid meant governments from participating nations, including England, advised against question to Bangladesh.

The nonaccomplishment of location vantage volition beryllium felt acutely by a squad who person lone won 1 lucifer successful 5 T20 World Cup competitions.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh suffered 9 consecutive T20 losses, including bid cleanable sweeps by Australia and India.

However, 2023 was a comparatively palmy year, with awesome victories against South Africa distant and India astatine home, which gave anticipation of a caller dawn for the squad conscionable 12 months from a World Cup connected location soil.

Much of that anticipation has present dissipated.

While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) retains hosting rights for the World Cup, it is unclear what this means successful presumption of finances.

Despite being contacted, the ICC and BCB did not supply details of imaginable mislaid revenue.

The wider interaction from not hosting the World Cup is besides hard to quantify. The BCB is presently successful a authorities of modulation arsenic governmental allies of the erstwhile authorities are jettisoned, but it has made tentative steps successful caller years to make the women’s game, including a wide age-group pathway for elite players.

The once-in-a-generation boost that women’s cricket successful Bangladesh would person felt, successful presumption of information and investment, by virtuousness of hosting the World Cup volition nary longer beryllium experienced. That is, perhaps, the astir important and long-lasting effect of losing the World Cup.

"I was precise shocked, disappointed and sad," said Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty erstwhile reflecting connected the determination to determination the tournament.

"Very fewer payers get the accidental to play successful a World Cup successful beforehand of a location crowd. It was a dream. It’s not conscionable astir us, it’s astir our families also. They were excited astir watching america play successful the World Cup. It was precise hard for us. It took maine 2 oregon 3 days to accept."

Bangladesh unfastened against Scotland connected Thursday (11:00 BST) earlier facing England, South Africa and West Indies successful a hard radical which precedes the semi-final and final.

The BCB has ever been intimately aligned to the authorities of the time and contempt the state being led by a pistillate Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, for 15 years, determination has ne'er been a azygous pistillate among the BCB’s committee of directors.

Bangladesh’s non-partisan interim authorities has projected reforms for the BCB, but it remains to beryllium seen if they volition see greater pistillate practice wrong cricket administration.

Joty believes advancement has been made successful Bangladesh women’s cricket, though much needs to beryllium done.

"It’s going the close way, we get the aforesaid facilities arsenic the men close now. I anticipation 1 time we get the aforesaid magnitude of fiscal enactment from the BCB," she adds.

"They could besides instrumentality steps to make much competitory home leagues."

As Bangladesh begins a signifier of rebuilding its bruised governmental institutions, normality is dilatory returning to the streets.

Ironically, the South Africa men’s squad are owed to play a Test successful Dhaka the time aft the women’s T20 World Cup final.

The spectacle of planetary cricket returning to Bangladesh and astir overlapping with the World Cup volition lone summation the consciousness of 'what if' for Bangladesh women’s cricketers and supporters alike.