Shawdesh Desk:

Bangladesh are eager to make the ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup meaningful and memorable despite winning only a single game in the past four editions as they take on Scotland in the tournament opener at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE today.

The match will begin at 4:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time, and Nagorik TV will televise the match live.

Bangladesh are pitted in Group B along with England, South Africa, the West Indies, and Scotland.

Bangladesh have gone without a win in the last four editions of this competition since 2014, when they hosted and participated in the tournament for the first time. Their lone win came in that tournament when they beat Ireland in Sylhet.

Apart from their Asia Cup triumph in 2018, the Bangladesh women’s team has yet to achieve any notable success in any other major events.

Bangladesh hardly gets opportunities to play against big teams like England and the West Indies. On the three occasions they played against the English and the Caribbean’s in the previous T20 World Cups, Bangladesh lost every time.

On the bright side, last year, Bangladesh won their first T20I against South Africa and eventually drew the three-match away series 1-1.

However, Nigar Sultana Joty’s side will be buoyed by their past record against Scotland, having won all four games in the format.

‘I would say that it is very important [the World Cup] for the entire team because out of all the World Cups we’ve played, apart from 2014, we haven’t really achieved much. This is very important for us because we want this World Cup to be countable and memorable. We want to start with tomorrow’s [Thursday’] match,’ said Joty during a press conference on Wednesday.

Their 23-run win over Pakistan in the second warm-up match will also give them confidence ahead of the tournament opener. In the other warm-up game, they lost to Sri Lanka by 33 runs.

‘I would say the way our team has been playing, the way we performed in the last warm-up match against Pakistan, I have seen everyone in good shape,’ she said.

‘There’s energy and hunger to win matches among the players, and the way each player has backed one another on the field. The batting unit has performed well and set a good score. The bowlers have provided excellent backup. So far, the team is in a good position. We will play to win,’ she added.

Bangladesh’s head coach, Hashan Tillakaratne, was equally prepared for the first game, emphasising the need to capitalise on the momentum from the get-go.

‘The momentum starts from the first match. We must play our best and bring a positive result. I am sure the girls are confident and focused on playing in the tournament. This is a big occasion for Joty and the team. This is a significant moment for all of us. If we get a positive result, it will also be for 200 million people,’ said the Sri Lankan coach.

Bangladesh will take on England at the same venue on October 5 before they face the West Indies and South Africa on October 10 and 12 at Sharjah and Dubai, respectively.

The Group A of the tournament features six-time champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for October 17 and 18, with the final taking place in Dubai on October 20.