Joty leads Bangladesh women on historic Australia tour

Nigar Sultana Joty will lead a 16-member Bangladesh squad on a historic tour of Australia, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announcing the team for a three-match ODI series against the hosts.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the BCB said Bangladesh will leave for Australia on October 3 for the series.

The tour will be the first bilateral series between the Bangladesh and Australia women's teams to be held in Australia.

Joty will continue as captain, while Nahida Akter has been named vice-captain. The squad combines established members of the national side with several younger players as Bangladesh prepare for their first bilateral assignment against Australia on Australian soil.

The squad includes Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Sarmin Sultana, Sharmin Akter Supta, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Farzana Haque, Disha Biswas, Murshida Khatun and Habiba Islam Pinky alongside Joty and Nahida.

The series will provide Bangladesh with a demanding international assignment against Australia and an opportunity to gain experience of playing in conditions away from home.

For Joty, the tour also comes as she continues to lead the side in the 50-over format. Nahida's appointment as deputy gives the team a clear leadership structure ahead of the three-match series.

The BCB said the tour itinerary has been issued along with the squad announcement, with all match times listed in Brisbane local time, which is GMT+10.

Bangladesh will travel on October 3, giving the squad time to settle in before beginning the series. The three ODIs will form the centrepiece of the tour, with the team looking to make the most of an assignment that takes them into Australian conditions for the first time in a bilateral women's series between the two countries.

The historic nature of the tour adds significance to the assignment, but Bangladesh's immediate focus will be on adapting to the conditions and competing across the three matches.

With Joty at the helm and Nahida as her deputy, Bangladesh will now begin preparations for a series that marks a new chapter in the women's team's bilateral cricket calendar.