‘Playing in Australia, NZ, England will hone our skills’, says Bangladesh skipper Nigar

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Bangladesh women’s cricket team captain Nigar Sultana Joty has termed the upcoming marquee overseas assignments against Australia, New Zealand, and England as a very big opportunity for her side, adding that competing in such conditions will significantly hone their skill sets.

Bangladesh is scheduled to embark on a white-ball series to Australia (three ODIs in Brisbane from October 9-14) and New Zealand later this year and is followed by a six-match tour of England in mid-2027.

Before hitting foreign shores, Bangladesh will shift focus to the upcoming Asian Games in Japan starting on September 17, where Nigar has set a firm target of reaching the final despite rain disrupting their home preparations.

“This is a very big opportunity for our team. We have always wanted to play in places like Australia, New Zealand or England because playing there helps develop your skills much more,” Nigar was quoted as saying by ICC on Monday.

Reflecting on their recent exposure during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England, where Bangladesh secured two wins out of five matches in a tough group featuring Australia, South Africa, and India in Group 1, Nigar pointed out that the team gained valuable confidence from that campaign.

“Since we recently played in England and did well there, there is definitely a reflection of that,” she noted

In the upcoming Asian Games, Bangladesh are slated to open their campaign against hosts China, with a potential semi-final clash against Asian powerhouses India on the horizon.

“We want to prepare in a way that allows us to approach this Asia Cup better than we did last year. With the amount of rain currently affecting every venue in Bangladesh, we will still try to prepare in the best possible way before going there and definitely aim to play in the final,” she added.

–IANS

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