Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter made a statement in her very first outing at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, producing a fiery opening spell that stunned Pakistan and signalled her arrival on the world stage.

In the opening over of the match, Marufa removed Pakistan’s top-order batters Omaima Sohail and in-form Sidra Ameen with back-to-back stump-shattering deliveries. Her explosive start helped Bangladesh bowl out Pakistan for just 129 runs, before securing a dominant seven-wicket win in 32 overs.

In a country where spin traditionally dominates the bowling scene, Marufa’s ability to generate swing and pace makes her a rare and valuable asset. Ahead of Bangladesh’s second match against England in Guwahati, captain Nigar Sultana Joty acknowledged the impact of her young fast bowler.

Asked whether Marufa has the potential to become Bangladesh’s best-ever women’s pacer, Joty responded, “I believe so. We’ve had some good pacers in the past, but no one has received the level of exposure Marufa is now getting.”

However, as the praise continues to pour in for the young quick—named Player of the Match for her 2/31—Joty remains cautious about keeping her grounded.

“She should stay fully focused on the World Cup,” the skipper said. “Whatever is happening around her must not affect her performance.”

“She needs to concentrate on herself and prepare for the upcoming matches with the team’s success in mind,” she added.

Following their convincing win against Pakistan, Bangladesh face a tougher challenge today (Tuesday, October 7) as they take on England in Guwahati. Despite the strong start, captain Nigar Sultana hinted at possible changes to the playing XI, depending on conditions and opposition tactics.

“We’re not overthinking it, but changes may come,” she said. “England have a lot of right-handed batters, so we may adjust our line-up accordingly.”

She added that the team management will assess the conditions and decide on the best possible XI for the match.

“If we need an extra spinner, we’ll go with that. If an additional seamer fits the plan, we’ll pick accordingly,” Joty said.

England also began their campaign with a dominant win over South Africa, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest in today’s group-stage clash.

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