Joty focuses on winning series against West Indies

Chattogram, 22 Jan —Bangladesh Women’s team captain Nigar Sultana Joty urged the teammates to keep their firm focus on winning the three-match ODI series against West Indies rather than thinking about the direct qualification to ICC Cricket World Cup.

The Tigresses, as it is adorably called, lost the first match by nine wickets but returned to winning way and leveled the series with a 60-run win in the second match against the Caribbean side at Basseterre in St Kitts today.

A victory in the third and final game would not only help them to make a direct qualification to the World Cup but also give them their first ever series victory on overseas country. 

“I am not thinking about the equation (World Cup Qualification) yet,” Joty said in a video message sent by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). “The team turned around like this just a day after losing the first match, this is the most important thing. It will be a great motivation for us when we’ll play the third and final game. The two points were important. But the momentum is the most important thing. The team got that. We will certainly give our best to win the game. That’s the eventual goal.”

She went on to saying: “We have never won a series abroad. If we can achieve it, it will be a big milestone for our team.”

The third and final match is on Saturday at the same venue. 

After this victory, Bangladesh put them in seventh place by amassing 21 points in 23 matches in ICC Women’s Championship. New Zealand which had also 21 points played all 24 matches but still in sixth place by better run rate than Bangladesh.

So if Bangladesh win their final match against West Indies, they will topple New Zealand to play the World Cup directly.

Top six teams will make a direct entry to the World Cup.
 
In case of a defeat, Bangladesh would have to play the Qualifying round with other five teams—Pakistan, West Indies, Ireland, Scotland and Thailan. Two teams from the Qualifying round will join the top six teams in the World Cup.

Joty said that the victory was the reward of hard work as the bowlers and fielders gave 'more than 100 percent'.

"First of all, I think that we all had the faith that we can beat West Indies on their own den. Although we couldn’t bat well. Generally if you can’t score more than 200 runs on this wicket, it is very difficult for the bowlers. But they came yup with steely resolve and made it happen,” she said.

“When we took the field, I told everyone that everyone should believe in winning. Because, if we can keep the ball in right place, take wickets in right time as we planned, then (winning) is possible,” he added.

Hailing the victory as a total team game, Joty concluded: “The way every bowler, every fielder gave 110 percent and tried, it was extraordinary. Such a victory was possible because of our unity.”