Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter broke down while speaking about her difficult childhood after making a dream start to her first Women’s World Cup. The 20-year-old fast bowler, who took two wickets for 31 runs in her debut match against Pakistan in Bangladesh’s tournament opener, said her journey from poverty to international cricket has been full of challenges.
Sharing her emotional story, a tearful Marufa said, “They wouldn’t invite us to various gatherings (like weddings), saying we didn’t have proper clothes. If we go there, we’ll lose our respect — that’s what they used to say. There was a time when we couldn’t even afford new clothes for Eid.”
Her father is a farmer who struggled to fulfil their needs , and Marufa also stated that support from her community was very limited. “My father is a farmer. We didn’t have much money, and even the people in the village where I grew up weren’t very supportive,” she said.
Despite all the hardships, Marufa said she now felt proud to be able to help her family. “Actually, the position we are in now—others aren’t quite there,” she said. “The way I support my family, perhaps many boys can’t do the same. That gives me a special kind of peace. As a child, I used to wonder when people would look at us with admiration and applaud. Now, when I see myself on TV, I feel shy.”
Marufa’s brilliant spell earned her the ‘Player of the Match’ award against Pakistan. In the tournament so far, she has taken five wickets in four matches at an average of 28.80 and an economy rate of 6.26. Bangladesh have won only one out of their four games and will next face defending champions Australia in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
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