Fargana Hoque Pinky etches her name in history as the first Bangladeshi woman to achieve a maiden One Day International century, leaving an indelible mark on the record books.

During the thrilling third ODI against India in Mirpur on Saturday, Fargana, batting as an opener, reached the coveted 100-run milestone on the last ball of the 48th over with a boundary. Her innings of 107 off 160 deliveries, featuring seven fours, showcased her exceptional anchoring skills.

Prior to Fargana’s historic feat, the highest individual score for Bangladesh women in ODIs was 75, achieved jointly by Rumana Ahmed and Salma Khatun in consecutive matches against India in Ahmedabad back in 2013.

Initially batting at No. 3 in the first two matches of the series, Fargana’s promotion to the opening position, a decision taken by the management, proved to be a brilliant move that guided Bangladesh to a challenging total.

Speaking after the match, Fargana humbly stated, “At the start of the tournament, I felt I was in good flow and I was getting off to good starts. All my teammates always used to say, if someone eventually scores a century, it will be Pinky. The plan was if I batted long, we could get to 230.”

Her focus on team performance over personal milestones was evident when she said, “My hundred didn’t matter, the team getting runs was important. I was just playing ball to ball. I love to bat. It was a great opportunity for me, so I was just very happy to take it. My friends and family have always supported me, and that’s why I am being able to bat like this. And not just me, there are many good batters in our team who can do better than me.”

Fargana’s impressive record also includes a Twenty20 International hundred against Maldives in Pokhara during the 2019 South Asian Games. With 56 ODIs and 84 T20Is under her belt, she is one of the most experienced players in the women’s team, accumulating 1,240 runs in ODIs at an average of 25.83 and 1,253 runs in T20Is.

Powered by Fargana’s brilliant century, Bangladesh managed to set a formidable total of 225 runs, losing just four wickets in their allotted 50 overs â€?their second-highest ODI total, with the highest being 234 against Pakistan in 2022.

The match against India ended in a dramatic tie, concluding the series with a 1-1 scoreline, showcasing Bangladesh’s fighting spirit. Fargana’s name now stands alongside the likes of Mehrab Hossain Opi, the first male cricketer to score an ODI century for Bangladesh in 1999 against Zimbabwe, cementing her legacy as the first-ever Bangladeshi woman to achieve a hundred in the 50-over format.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has recently unveiled the preliminary squad consisting of 20 members for the upcoming India women’s tour of Bangladesh in 2023. Notably, experienced cricketers Jahanara Alam and Rumana Ahmed have been excluded from the squad for the upcoming series. However, Salma Khatun, another seasoned player, has made a comeback to the team after being left out of the previous Sri Lanka series. The players are scheduled to assemble for the camp in Dhaka on Friday, with training commencing from Saturday.

The India women’s team is set to visit Bangladesh next month for a white-ball series featuring three one-day internationals and an equal number of Twenty20 internationals. All matches will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. This occasion marks the first women’s international game at Mirpur in 11 years, with the previous instance occurring in 2012 when the Bangladesh women’s team competed against South Africa. The one-day series is part of the 2022-2025 International Cricket Council Women’s Championship, a tournament involving ten teams vying for qualification to the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The Indian side is slated to arrive in Dhaka on July 6. The series will commence with three T20Is scheduled for July 9, 11, and 13, respectively. Subsequently, the three ODIs will take place on July 16, 19, and 22.

Preliminary Squad:
Nigar Sultana Joty, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun, Lata Mondol, Nahida Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akter Meghla, Disha Biswas, Rabeya Khan, Shorna Akter, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani, Ritu Moni, Salma Khatun, Shamima Sultana, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Fahima Khatun

Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team Makes a Strong Start in Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup

In an impressive display of cricket, the Bangladesh women’s cricket team secured a resounding victory in the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup. They convincingly defeated the Malaysian team by 97 runs in Mong Kok, Hong Kong on Monday.

Opting to bat first, the Tigresses posted a competitive total of 148 for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Murshida Khatun, who was awarded the player of the match, played a crucial role with an unbeaten 57 runs off 44 deliveries. Her innings included seven fours. Shorna Akter also provided valuable support, contributing a quickfire 20 runs off 14 balls.

In response, the Malaysian team struggled to build partnerships and could only manage a meager 51 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. Only three batters were able to reach double-digit scores. The Bangladesh bowlers displayed disciplined performance, with leg-spinner Rabeya Khan leading the way by taking two wickets while conceding just seven runs in three overs. Sanjida also chipped in with a wicket, conceding only six runs.

Next, Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in their upcoming match, followed by their final Group B encounter against the United Arab Emirates on Friday. In Group A, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and hosts Hong Kong are competing. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Brief Score:
Bangladesh Women: 148/6 (Murshida 57*, Shorna 20)
Malaysia Women: 51/8 (Rabeya 2/7, Sanjida 1/6)
Result: Bangladesh Women won by 97 runs

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is poised to make significant increases in the salaries and match fees for women cricketers under the central contract.

Following the eighth board meeting of the current term held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium premises, BCB president Nazmul Hasan announced the decision. The new salary cap for women cricketers under the central contract is reportedly set at Tk1,00,000, with a minimum salary of Tk50,000. This marks a notable increase from the previous salary cap of Tk80,000, with a minimum of Tk25,000. Presently, the BCB has 25 women cricketers contracted with them.

In addition to salary enhancements, the match fee for women cricketers representing the “A” team has been raised to Tk1,50,000. The BCB president also disclosed that the board has made plans to fortify its cricketing infrastructure by constructing new stadiums to accommodate domestic leagues.

As part of a decentralization effort, the BCB has approved the establishment of five ad-hoc regional committees, namely Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Rangpur, and Rajshahi, during the meeting. It was also revealed that committees for Khulna and Barisal will soon be added.

The eighth meeting of the BCB Board of Directors yielded several significant outcomes:

Approval for the acquisition of land in Pubail, Gazipur, and Purbachal, Narayanganj, for the development of cricket grounds. Additionally, the purchase of land in Chittagong and Bogra for the same purpose has been decided.

In principle, immediate measures have been approved for the renovation of the inner and outer grounds of Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, aiming to make them playable.

The installation of new and advanced indoor cricket practice turfs at existing indoor centers across the country, including Chittagong and Sylhet, has been granted approval.

The initiation process to obtain the license for BCB TV has been agreed upon in principle.

The board has approved salary increases for the 25 centrally contracted women players, as well as increased match fees for One Day International and Twenty20 International matches.

Salary contracts and enhancements for 2023 were approved for 77 first-class cricketers.

The BCB Regional Cricket Association Guidelines-2022 were approved, along with the endorsement of Regional (Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Rajshahi) Ad-hoc Committees.

Match fees for the Bangladesh A Team have been increased across four-day, one-day, and T20 formats.