The political instability and social unrest in Bangladesh recently led to the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup being moved from the country to the UAE. For Arifa Jahan Bithi, founder of the Women’s Dreamer Cricket Academy—Bangladesh’s pioneering and sole girls’ cricket academy—this relocation meant losing a crucial opportunity to shift prevailing attitudes towards girls pursuing the sport.
“There’s a certain buzz, but nobody truly takes an interest,” she remarked to The Hindu, describing the atmosphere surrounding the ongoing women’s ODI World Cup. “Many people here are still unaware that women even play cricket.”
Arifa generously coaches over 350 girls without charge, and they actively participate in various divisions, including the prestigious Dhaka Premier League. Remarkably, two of her proteges have even made it to the national camp.
She famously brought attention to the struggles of female cricketers during the pandemic by sharing images of Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter working in a paddy field. This powerful visual not only garnered public support for Marufa but also highlighted how the broader cricket system in Bangladesh has had to evolve alongside its emerging talent.
“At the grassroots level, there’s no deliberate push for developing core elements like strength and power hitting. Traditional training grounds lacked facilities such as gyms or swimming pools. We simply focused on bowling, batting, and refining technique,” Arifa elaborated.
“Cricket truly needs to reach schools and penetrate deeper into districts. Our growth is primarily still happening at the college level. If it can trickle down to younger ages, the pool of players will undoubtedly expand,” she noted.
“The comprehensive facilities and structured tiers available to boys are simply non-existent for girls. Most schools, for example, do not offer cricket as an option for female students.”
Despite these systemic hurdles, Arifa remains hopeful that Bangladesh’s performance in this World Cup will create a positive ripple effect for the future. “Through the dedicated work I’m doing, and through the inspiring journeys of talents like Marufa, I want my country to clearly see that girls are just as capable as anyone else,” she affirmed.