Marufa Akter has impulsively emerged as concept to be one of Bangladesh’s most promising snappily bowlers in ladies’s cricket.
Her contemporary accolade—being named the winner of the ESPNCricinfo Girls’s ODI Bowling Performance of the 365 days for 2023—only solidifies her rising recognition. The award became once for her excellent four-wicket haul in opposition to India in July 2023, a efficiency that played a pivotal position in Bangladesh’s first-ever ODI recover from their neighbours.
Marufa’s figures of 4 for 29 stand as doubtlessly the most intelligent efficiency by a Bangladeshi snappily bowler in ladies’s ODIs, along with her scalps including the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Priya Punia, Amanjot Kaur, and Sneh Rana. Bowling with fabulous preserve watch over and precision in her seven-over spell, she led Bangladesh to a 40-bustle victory while defending a low entire of correct 152.
At correct 19 years extinct, Marufa’s upward thrust has been nothing short of meteoric. Making her debut at 17, the apt-arm medium-snappily bowler rapidly grew to turn into a key player in Bangladesh’s bowling assault. Her tempo and skill to pass the ball every ways have made her a standout, severely in the early overs. Though essentially recognised as a brand contemporary-ball bowler, head coach Hashan Tillakaratne has admitted that her demise bowling restful requires work, a mission the team is actively addressing ahead of principal tournaments.
Besides to the popularity from ESPNCricinfo, Marufa became once also nominated for the ICC Girls’s Rising Cricketer of the 365 days award in January 2024, highlighting her rising prominence in the international cricketing area.
As Bangladesh gears up for the Girls’s T20 World Cup, which became once relocated from Bangladesh to the UAE as a result of political unrest, Marufa is preparing herself for the exchange in stipulations. She believes that psychological preparation is as severe as adapting to the pitch. “The secret’s being mentally ready and adjusting to the pitch stipulations. Should always you can also adapt to the pitch, you largely give your self a better likelihood to fabricate properly. So, my focal level has essentially been on preparing myself mentally, and when I enact that, I’m able to greater focal level on my bowling”, she said.
The UAE pitches are likely to present slower stipulations in contrast to other venues, nonetheless Marufa stays confident. As Bangladesh’s spearhead, her skill to strike early will likely be principal to the team’s success. Then all once more, Marufa will most probably be attentive to her responsibility to e-book the youthful, less skilled gamers in the squad. “Take into accout that, I for all time are attempting to serve them in any methodology I’m able to. Whether they’re from BKSP or the U-19 team, I enact my most intelligent to present them the apt advice and share my experiences so they might presumably make stronger themselves and make contributions to the team,” she outlined.
Having a perceive ahead to the match, Marufa is space to make contributions to Bangladesh’s World Cup advertising campaign, surroundings her sights on helping the team enact their dreams. “My goal is easy: to bowl to doubtlessly the most intelligent of my skill and get suits for my team. If I’m able to serve Bangladesh enact our collective dreams, then I will hang in thoughts that a success. Or no longer it is all about making definite my efficiency aligns with the team’s dreams,” she added.
With 18 wickets in 26 T20I suits at an average of 26.11, Marufa has already confirmed her functionality on the international stage. Even though she took only four wickets in the 2023 T20 World Cup, her construction since then positions her as a principal asset for Bangladesh in their upcoming suits.
Bangladesh is space to birth up their World Cup saunter on 3 October, with a match in opposition to Scotland in Sharjah.
