Home ›› 09 Sep 2022 ›› Sport
Marufa Akhter, the young all-rounder of the Bangladesh women’s team, said that her role model is Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya because she thinks they are almost similar.
Hardik has already established himself as one of the finest all-rounders in T20s. In contrast, Marufa just started her professional cricket career and is yet to make her debut for Bangladesh.
Their performance is like chalk and cheese, but their background brings them closer and that may be the reason behind Marufa idolising Hardik as she said he was like her.
Sitting at the high table in the press-conference room inside the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the 17-year-old girl from Nilphamari, a poverty-stricken district of Bangladesh, did not lose her cool in front of almost 100 journalists. Marufa’s answers were smart, brief, and naive.
There was no extra excitement on Marufa’s face before making her first tour, no effort to make the media sympathetic by telling her stories of struggle. She was right on the money like her bowling, saying, “My inswingers are natural,” when asked about her tricks.
Marufa used to help her father cultivate the land. She worked in paddy fields many times with her father, a small farmer. During the pandemic, her family was struggling financially like any other lower-income family in the country. During that time, BCB helped her, which inspired Marufa to play cricket with much more intensity.
The Pandya brothers also had a very humble beginning, but now Krunal and Hardik have played for the Indian team, which changed their fortune. Marufa, a right-arm medium pacer and a right-handed lower-order batsman like Hardik, must be believing that life can change through cricket.
Marufa might have an emotional back story, but it was her cricketing ability which put her on the flight to Abu Dhabi. She was the highest wicket-taker of the Women’s Premier League, picking up 22 wickets in 10 matches for her side BKSP. She was judged the most promising cricketer for her contribution with the bat too, as she scored 119 runs in six innings with a highest of 63 and a strike rate of 102.59. She also picked up 13 wickets in seven matches during the Women’s National Cricket League T20, where Marufa represented Sylhet division, the title-winning team.
Nigar Sultana, captain of the Bangladesh Women’s team, believes Marufa could be a crucial player for her team in the coming days.
“She (Marufa) is still very young. She only thinks about her performance. If she is asked to do something for the team, she does it wholeheartedly. She does not overthink. I believe she can do many things for the team in the future,” the skipper told the media.
Marufa started playing cricket when her elder brother taught her how to play the game. Later, she was picked up by a talent-hunt program run by BKSP. But her age denied her admission to BKSP as she was in the ninth standard at that time. Local coaches picked her up, and gradually, she earned the spotlight with her cricketing prowess.
Former cricketer and women’s team selector Manjurul Islam told the media why Marufa was picked, “Nobody brought her. She earned her place. You will realise this after seeing her bowling. Not only bowling, but she can also contribute with the bat. For some reason, she was getting away from cricket, but I must thank the board for taking the necessary steps to bring her back.”
Now, Marufa’s family is happy, and she is also happy as she is finally taking a flight with the national team. Now it’s her turn to make the country happy like the way Hardik did.
