This Eid, most people spend time with their families and celebrate. However, the Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team is taking a different approach this year. They are sacrificing, working hard, and dreaming of qualifying for the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025.

Since the World Cup Qualifiers start on April 9 in Pakistan, the Tigresses skipped the Eid vacation and stayed in training to improve their chances of making it.  Before the team left, leader Nigar Sultana Joty talked to the media about how important the event was and how much the players were giving up.

“We couldn’t go home for Eid. In fact, we trained even on the day before Eid,” said Nigar at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. “Everyone knows how important this tournament is for the team. When a team plays in a major ICC event, it changes how the world views them. It also brings added opportunities from the ICC.”

To the Bangladesh Women's Team, this isn't just another event. It's a chance to solidify their place among the best teams in the world and keep building on the tradition they started in 2022 when they played in their first ODI World Cup.

Bangladesh's exposure and match chances have grown a lot since their first World Cup. This is partly because they are now part of the ICC's Future Tours Program (FTP).  Nigar agreed with the jump, “It was a massive turning point in our careers. Since the last World Cup, we’ve had more matches, better exposure, and greater recognition—both financially and in terms of respect.”

Bangladesh placed seventh out of eight teams in the 2022 tournament. This time, they had a chance to go directly to the next round, but they missed it.  Now, the qualifiers are the only way to get in.

Training during Ramadan has its challenges, but the team has gone above and beyond. “It was tough to practice while fasting,” Nigar admitted. “We even trained under floodlights because two of our matches will be day-night games. Everyone is extremely focused. We’ve done everything within our control to prepare.”

Before the tournament starts, the team will also play a warm-up game in Pakistan.  Nigar thinks the team will be ready for the first game of the event.

In the round-robin style, six teams will play, and only the top two will move on to the Women's ODI World Cup.  The first game for Bangladesh is on April 10 against Thailand, and the last game is on April 19.

The message from the skipper is clear: “We had our chance at direct qualification and missed it. But we’re determined to make it through the qualifiers. This means everything to us.”