Bangladesh women's cricket team captain accused of beating juniors; board denies

Out-of-favour Bangladesh women's pacer Jahanara Alam has made serious allegations against national captain Nigar Sultana Joty and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) following the team's campaign at the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup. Alam accused Nigar Sultana of physically assaulting junior players and creating a toxic environment within the team, claims that the BCB has strongly denied, calling them "baseless" and "fabricated."

Alam, 32, who last represented Bangladesh in December 2024, made the explosive claims during an interview with Bangladesh-based newspaper Kaler Kantho. The veteran pacer alleged that captain Nigar Sultana "beats up" junior players regularly, and that some younger cricketers are even reluctant to play for the national side because of the alleged mistreatment.

"This is nothing new. Joty beats up the juniors a lot. Even during this World Cup, the juniors told me, 'No, I won't do this again. Then I'll have to get slapped again.' I heard from some people, 'I got beaten up yesterday.' Even during the Dubai tour, she called a junior into the room and slapped her," Alam told Kaler Kantho.

A veteran of 52 ODIs and 83 T20Is, Alam has been one of Bangladesh's most experienced pacers, claiming 108 wickets across formats. She has not played for the national side since December 2024 after being left out of the squad for the World Cup.

Alam also alleged that favouritism and internal politics have been prevalent in the Bangladesh women's setup for several years, claiming that senior players have been systematically sidelined.

"Actually, I am not alone, everyone in the Bangladesh team is more or less a victim. Everyone's suffering is different. Here, one or two people get advanced facilities and in some cases, only one person gets them. In 2021, the process of eliminating seniors like me along with a few others from the post-Covid camp began. Then I was made the captain of one of the three teams in the Bangladesh Games. The captains of the other two teams were Jyoti (Nigar Sultana) and Sharmin Sultana. The pressure on seniors started from then on," she said.

In January 2025, the BCB announced that Alam had requested a break from international cricket, citing mental health concerns, and had also asked to be kept out of the central contracts list. Currently based in Sydney, Australia, Alam's return to the national setup looks unlikely amid this growing controversy.

BANGLADESH BOARD DENIES CLAIMS

The Bangladesh Cricket Board released a statement refuting Alam's allegations, calling them "deliberate" and "malicious."

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken note of recent remarks made in the media by a former member of the Bangladesh Women's National Cricket Team, in which she has made a series of allegations against the current National Team Captain, players, staff and team management," the statement read.

"The BCB categorically and strongly refutes these allegations, which are baseless, fabricated and devoid of any truth. The Board finds it unfortunate that such derogatory and scandalous claims have been made at a time when the Bangladesh Women's Team is showing commendable progress and unity on the international stage."

The board further stated that Alam's comments were "deliberate, ill-intentioned and seemingly aimed at undermining the spirit and confidence of a team that continues to represent the country with pride."

Led by Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh finished seventh in the eight-team World Cup held earlier this year, managing only one victory against Pakistan in their opening match in Colombo.

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