Sumona shining in Australia being neglected by the Tigresses
Image : Collected
|| CF Correspondent ||
Jannatul Ferdous Sumona, spin bowling all-rounder of Bangladesh women’s team is still dreaming of playing for the national team despite her high success in Australia.
Sumona has proved herself for the Sydney Cricket Club. With her all-round skill, the club ended their title drought by winning the New South Wales Premier League one-day competition.
The 20-year-old all-rounder made her international debut against South Africa in Potchefstroom in March 2018. Sumona’s international career came to a halt after playing two ODIs and a T20I in that tour.
Even though Sumona got her maiden chance form the national team during her tour of Ireland in August 2016, she had to wait about two years for her debut.
Although she is a spinning all-rounder, she has not been seen with the ball in any of the three matches.
Sumona, who is now an expatriate in Australia, cherishes the dream of wearing the country’s jersey again in the midst of her success in Australia. The right-handed all-rounder shared her back story of how she got the chance of playing for Sydney Cricket Club in Australia.
“When I was out of the national team, I got an offer from Sydney Cricket Club whether I was interested in playing in Australia’s domestic cricket. In the meantime, the off-season in Bangladesh domestic cricket was also going on. Since I wasn’t getting an opportunity there, I responded to their offer,” Sumona told a Bengali daily.
“I went to play in October 2019 but the offer came to me at the beginning of 2019. There were some delays due to visa complications. Besides, my HSC exam was also going on. The Australian cricket season starts in September-October, I was able to catch that luckily,” she added.
In the club, she has got famous cricketers as her teammates and in the tournament; she was one of the dominating figures behind her team’s success. In 12 matches, she has got 19 wickets and scored more than 200 runs, where she didn’t get the chance to bowl in the national team and got dropped after a few matches.
“It’s one of the best clubs in Australia. Four players from the national team play here. In addition, many Australian players come up from this club, many former national team cricketers also played in this club. Currently we’ve four national team players, including Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Jenny Gunn and me. This year our team has become the champion for the first time,” she said.
“I’m basically an off-spinning all-rounder. Although I played in the national team, I didn’t get a chance to bowl. After batting in two matches, I was dropped from the national team. I’ve some regrets about this. I couldn’t do my real job. I’ve taken 19 wickets in 12 matches at Sydney Club this season. I was in the top 10 as a bowler throughout the tournament. I’m the third-highest scorer in my team, where I scored 200-plus runs in 12 matches,” Sumona added.
“Being familiar with the condition, Sumona wanted to be a part of the Bangladesh team in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup but the team management didn’t pay any attention to her plea. But still she nourishes the dream of playing with the red-green jersey.”
“Before the World Cup I told our coach, I’ve adapted to this condition. Can you see me? The coach said there is no chance right now, perhaps then the team was announced. Even then I said, can I somehow be part of the team when Bangladesh set their base camp in Australia. Having played here for six-seven months, my idea about the condition was clear. Maybe I could have helped the team something. But I didn’t get any response from the team. No one even took the advice personally,” the right-hand all-rounder said.
“I’m always ready and will run as soon as possible if the call comes from Bangladesh. There is nothing proud more than playing with the red-green jersey although no one looks after me. The women’s wing chairman (Shafiul Alam Chowdhury) came during the World Cup. He praised me a lot and inspired me to play well,” she added.
Despite missing the chance of representing her country at the international level Sumona is happy with Sydney Cricket Club and praised for their hospitality and said that the club is now her new family.
“I’m just happy to be here. As a foreign cricketer, I’m given a lot of dignity like others. Our coaches and managers are always inquiring. All in all, Sydney Cricket Club is my new family. I’m fine with this family. Yet sometimes I feel bad. I really miss playing on the field putting on the country’s jersey,” she concluded.
