Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty and new head coach David Hemp have emphasised a positive, fearless mindset as their side prepares for a historic milestone: the nation’s first-ever bilateral women’s ODI series in Australia, scheduled from 9–14 October 2026. Led by stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath in the absence of injured regular captain Sophie Molineux, Australia hosts a Bangladesh unit eager to shed recent struggles and express themselves on unfamiliar soil.
The visitors arrive with mixed form. Bangladesh failed to bag a medal courtesy of their defeat to Pakistan in the bronze medal game at the Asian Games in Japan in September and recently suffered a comprehensive home ODI series loss to Sri Lanka. Their last ODI series triumph came against Ireland at home in 2024. Against Australia, the record is stark: five consecutive defeats. Yet, Sultana insists the focus is on potential, not past results. “I think this is the format we play well,” she said. “We have that potential in this format both at home and in overseas conditions. We have some specialist players who actually played this format really well.”
Bangladesh’s only previous experience in Australia came during the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup, making this three-match ODI series a fresh challenge. Sultana highlighted the importance of adapting quickly. “It’s always been challenging when you are playing in different conditions. The team looks good. We have played a practice game here, so we have got some ideas about what we are going to face. So, yeah, it’s just a team game. We just want to express ourselves.”
When asked whether the men’s drawn Test series in Australia in August 2026 would inspire them, Sultana stressed staying present. “I think it’s pretty important to be in the present, and we were really hoping that we can play as a whole unit because we believe that when we play as a team and perform as a whole unit, we can surprise any team.”
A key factor in Bangladesh’s preparation is the guidance of David Hemp, the former Bermuda all-rounder who recently took over as head coach. Hemp’s experience playing and coaching in Australian conditions has already informed the team’s net sessions. “He just joined us, and we have been working with him for the last two tournaments for a short period of time,” Sultana explained. “We got some ideas from him about what the pitch is going to be like, and how they will try to attack us. We are trying to practice in that way in the net session.”
Hemp’s message to the squad is clear: leave Australia without regrets. “They are a good team with really good individual players. My expectations are around being positive within the game, and what we don’t want is to get back to Bangladesh in a week’s time and say, ‘oh, I wish we’d played this way, I wish we’d played that way’.”
For David Hemp, positivity isn’t just a slogan; it’s a strategic approach. “We need to be positive in how we go about everything that we do and how we not just play the game, but also approach the game and how we think about the game. As long as we’re doing that, then we’ll move forward in a positive way,” he said.
As Brisbane prepares for this landmark series, Bangladesh’s challenge is twofold: compete against the world-dominating ODI side, while forging a new identity under Hemp. With Sultana’s inspiration and Hemp’s experience, the visitors hope to turn their historic tour into a statement of intent, one over at a time.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.
Source: femalecricket.com
