Bangladesh pacer alleges physical abuse, favouritism against Nigar Sultana in national women's team
Former Bangladesh pacer Jahanara Alam accused captain Nigar Sultana of assaulting juniors and the BCB of favouritism. The board denied the claims as baseless. The controversy follows Bangladesh’s poor 2025 Women’s World Cup campaign.
Former Bangladesh women’s pacer Jahanara Alam has levelled serious allegations against national captain Nigar Sultana and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). She accused the captain of physically assaulting junior players and fostering a toxic environment within the team. The claims emerged following Bangladesh’s disappointing campaign at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, where the team finished seventh out of eight sides.
Notably, the 32-year-old has represented Bangladesh in 52 ODIs and 83 T20Is and claimed 108 wickets across formats, spoke to Bangladesh-based newspaper Kaler Kantho. She alleged that Nigar Sultana “beats up” younger players on a regular basis and described an environment in which junior cricketers fear reporting for national duty.
“This is nothing new. Joty beats up the juniors a lot. Even during this World Cup, the juniors told me, 'No, I won't do this again. Then I'll have to get slapped again.' I heard from some people, 'I got beaten up yesterday.' Even during the Dubai tour, she called a junior into the room and slapped her,” Alam said.
In addition to claims of physical abuse, Alam spoke about long-standing issues of favouritism and internal politics in the Bangladesh women’s setup. She alleged that senior players, including herself, were systematically sidelined over the past few years, with some receiving preferential treatment while others faced pressure and exclusion.
Alam also recounted being removed from post-COVID camps and central contracts, citing mental health concerns as the reason for her break from international cricket in January 2025. Currently based in Sydney, her return to the national setup appears uncertain amid the ongoing controversy.
BCB denies allegations
The BCB has strongly denied Alam’s allegations, calling them “baseless, fabricated and devoid of any truth.” The board highlighted that the Bangladesh women’s team has been demonstrating progress and unity at the international level despite the World Cup setback.
“The BCB categorically and strongly refutes these allegations, which are baseless, fabricated and devoid of any truth. The Board finds it unfortunate that such derogatory and scandalous claims have been made at a time when the Bangladesh Women's Team is showing commendable progress and unity on the international stage,” the board said.