The International Cricket Council (ICC) in a sudden move Friday awarded Test status to the Bangladesh Women’s cricket team.
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe women’s teams were also awarded the Test status, along with the Bengal Tigresses.
It was decided in the latest meeting of ICC that Test status would be granted to all women’s teams of the full-member nations of the ICC.
Right after the decision was made public, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) women’s wing chairman Shafiul Alam Nadel said the Tigress might play their inaugural Test this year.
“It’s great that the ICC has decided to grant us the Test status,” he told the media. “But it’ll take some time to schedule our inaugural Test. But we hope to play our first Test this year.”
Bangladesh all-rounder Rumana Ahmed said, “This is big news for the country. We are now a Test-playing nation in women’s cricket. I believe getting the Test status will help Bangladesh women’s cricket scale new heights,” she told via a video message sent to the media from BCB.
With the inclusion of three new teams, the number of women’s Test teams has reached 13. The other Test-playing women’s teams are – Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland, Sri Lanka, West Indies and the Netherlands.
