The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) plans to introduce a long-term training programme for 20 to 25 women cricketers emerging from the Dhaka First Division Qualifying Cricket League, aiming to strengthen the domestic talent pool beyond the two teams that earn promotion.
The qualifying league began at City Club Ground on Thursday, with matches also scheduled at Dhaka University Central Field. The competition features 14 teams, with the top two earning promotion to next season’s Dhaka First Division Women’s Cricket League, scheduled for March-April. The Dhaka Women’s Premier Division Cricket League is set to take place in January.
BCB women’s wing chairman Rafiqul Islam Babu confirmed the development to TIMES, saying the board intends to retain promising players from the qualifying competition and place them in a longer-term development programme.
“Of the 14 teams in the qualifying league, two will be promoted to the First Division. But what will the remaining players do? I have told the selectors and coaches to identify 20 to 25 players and arrange long-term training for them,” Babu said.
The initiative comes as the BCB prepares for the next cycle of women’s domestic competitions. With the Premier Division scheduled for January and the First Division expected in March-April, the qualifying league will determine which two clubs join the 10 existing First Division sides, taking the competition to 12 teams.
The proposed programme is expected to run for around six months, giving selected players sustained coaching and preparation rather than leaving them without a clear pathway after the qualifying competition.
“If these 20 to 25 players train in a camp for six months, they will come out as much more complete cricketers,” Babu said, highlighting the importance of the initiative in developing the women’s game.
The selection process will also extend beyond the qualifying league, with the BCB monitoring performances in age-group cricket. Bangladesh’s Under-19 women are currently competing in a tri-nation series in Faisalabad, Pakistan, where they have reached the final.
Babu said the board had already begun tracking performances to identify players who could benefit from the development initiative. The programme is intended to widen the pool of players available for future domestic and national teams.
