In the very first over of the match, Akter made two of Pakistan’s best batters in opener Omaima Sohail and in-form Sidra Amin look absolutely clueless. In consecutive deliveries, she went through the gates of the batters and hit timber to give Bangladesh the perfect start to their campaign.
That opening burst set the tone for Bangladesh’s victory, as they bowled Pakistan out for just 129 and chased the target comfortably in 32 overs with seven wickets to spare.
In a country where spin bowlers traditionally outnumber the pacers, the prodigious swing-bowling, timber-shattering quick Marufa Akter is somewhat of a rare commodity, something even captain Nigar Sultana Joty admitted ahead of their game against England in Guwahati.
“I think so,” skipper Joty said when asked if Marufa has the potential to be the best women’s fast bowler Bangladesh has produced. “We have had some great pacers in the past but the exposure that Marufa Akter is getting, nobody has gotten that.”
At the same time, aware of how easily high praise can affect young players – and Marufa received plenty after her Player of the Match-winning 2/31 in the opener – Joty reminded the youngster of the importance of staying focused and grounded.
“But I think it is very important for her to be focused about World Cup right now,” she added. “Whatever happens surrounding her, I think it shouldn't affect her performance.
“She should just think about herself and how she should prepare herself for the next upcoming games and how she can perform for the team."
Bangladesh’s next challenge comes against England today in Guwahati.
After a perfect start to the tournament in Colombo, the Tigresses have little reason to tinker with their winning combination, though skipper Nigar Sultana acknowledged that the change in conditions could prompt a few tactical adjustments to counter England’s strengths.
“We're not thinking too much about it but there will definitely be changes to the XI because there are a lot of right-handed batters in their team,” she said.
“Maybe the management will think about what would be our best XI for tomorrow. You always want to go with the same XI after what we did in the last game.
“But it depends on the situation and the wicket. If we need one more spinner in there, we will add up. If we need one more seamer, then we will definitely.”
England also arrive into the contest with two points on the back of dominant win against South Africa.
