Bangladesh determined to make it count in upcoming ODI World Cup: Hoque

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Bangladesh opener Fargana Hoque said her team are determined to make their long-term preparation count in the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup, starting on September 30. Bangladesh will open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 2 in Colombo.

"We've been preparing for a long time. But ultimately, the quality of our preparation will show in the World Cup, which arrives every four years, unlike the (biennial) T20 World Cup, so we're determined to make it count," Fargana was quoted as saying by ICC.

The right-handed batter, who was Bangladesh’s top-scorer in the 2022 edition of ODI World Cup in New Zealand, felt the side’s collective strength lay in working as a unit rather than depending on individuals.

"Our strength is that everyone knows we can only succeed as a team, not as individuals. (Nigar Sultana) Joty is a fantastic player, but she knows she can't win matches alone. In our victories, contributions have come from across the side.

"We don't have a super batter striking at 100-150 to finish games single-handedly, but our spin attack is world-class. The weakness is pace, if the board invests in developing fast bowlers, we could become a much more complete side," she said.

Top-order batter Sharmin Akther Supta stated that while Bangladesh has batting depth, responsibility will fall largely on the top three batters. "If top-order batters don't score big, it becomes difficult for the middle or lower-order. When we play well at the top, the middle-order batters can play with a relaxed frame of mind.

"But I don't believe that we lack in batting depth. Our No.5 and No.6 batters and even our lower-order has done really well in the qualifiers," Sharmin added.

She also credited power-hitting coach Julian Wood for instilling positive intent in the side during a recent batting camp. "He (Wood) worked on how we can generate power and develop the correct mindset for T20s. He told us that 50-over cricket and T20 cricket is different and how we can maintain a positive intent.

"But before that, we have to know how to play power shots and develop the belief that we can play the shots. It was a good session for us," concluded Sharmin.

--IANS

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