Bangladesh women’s team pacer Marufa Akter has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 due to an injury in her right foot and is also set to miss the December tour of New Zealand, an official closely involved with the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) women’s wing confirmed to TIMES.
“Marufa, who is suffering from a bony erosion at the base of the fifth metatarsal bone in her right foot, is already ruled out of the upcoming Emerging Nations Trophy. She will need four weeks for the bone to heal,” the official said.
The 21-year-old has been put in a cast and instructed to remain completely non-weight-bearing during the initial recovery period.
Marufa has been struggling with a recurring foot injury before Bangladesh’s recent tour of Australia. Sources suggest she received an injection ahead of the tour, but the treatment did not produce the expected response. The team management subsequently rested her for the final match of the tour. She was also left out of the ongoing Women’s National Cricket League (NCL) T20 tournament to manage the injury.
“It is not exactly a fracture, as the bone hasn’t broken, but there is some damage to the bone,” the official explained.
A member of the BCB women’s wing’s medical and physiotherapy department said the injury was a bone-related problem that would require time to heal. Marufa has been advised against putting any weight on her right foot while wearing the cast.
The Tigresses will leave for New Zealand on December 4 or 5, ahead of a six-match white-ball series comprising three T20Is (December 10, 12 and 15) and three ODIs (December 18, 21 and 23).
Even if Marufa completes her four-week recovery period as scheduled, she will still need to undergo rehabilitation, regain her fitness and gradually build up her bowling workload before returning to competitive cricket.
The medical team, however, has not ruled out the possibility of her making the tour, although no definitive timeline has been established.
“We will wait for her to heal. According to the nature of the injury, we remodel her rehabilitation and then allow her to return to sport. However, it will depend on her body, how much load she can take and how much her bone heals,” the official said.
The official remained hopeful that Marufa could make herself available before the opening match in New Zealand, given the time between the removal of her cast and the start of the series.
“I can’t give you an exact timeline just yet, but one thing is certain: she won’t be available for the next four weeks. That is confirmed.
“We are set to depart on December 4 or 5, with the first match on December 10. Even after her cast is removed, we will still have around 15 to 16 days. If we can get her ready during that period, I’m hopeful. Otherwise, her availability remains uncertain,” the official added.
Marufa has been a regular member of Bangladesh’s white-ball sides. Since April, featuring in two series against Sri Lanka, the Scotland tri-nation series, five matches in the T20 World Cup, four in the Asia Cup, two in the Asian Games and two during the Australia tour.
A member of the Tigresses’ coaching panel also confirmed that the pacer was still experiencing discomfort in her foot, although her selection for the New Zealand tour had not yet been finalised.
“Treatment is ongoing at the moment, but once squads have been announced, the relevant medical information will be communicated,” he said.
