The Bangladesh Cricket Board has moved to draw a clear line between itself and national women’s captain Nigar Sultana after her decision to snub India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the Asia Cup semi-final.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women’s committee, backed Nigar’s right to act on her own instincts, but underlined that the board had no role in the gesture and will now review her position as captain once the Asian Games campaign ends.
“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” Babu said, stressing that the move came from Nigar alone and not from any directive.
Personal call, public fallout
The post-match handshake line has become a loaded ritual in South Asian cricket. Since last year’s men’s Asia Cup, Indian captains have not shaken hands with their Pakistani counterparts amid political tensions between the two countries. On Thursday, Nigar chose to make her own statement, refusing the traditional handshake with Harmanpreet after Bangladesh’s defeat.
Babu was keen to separate that act from the board’s stance.
“We believe sports bring the world together. We want friendly relations with all countries, not just India and so whatever she did was entirely her personal decision,” he said.
The semi-final itself had already left Bangladesh with enough to digest. Chasing 150, they fell 40 runs short against India, exiting the Asia Cup with a performance that again highlighted the gap to the region’s heavyweight sides.
Captaincy under scrutiny
The fallout has not been limited to optics. Babu confirmed that complaints have been lodged against Nigar for misconduct, and that both her performance and behaviour will be examined after the Asian Games.
“We have discussed the thing (performance and complaint) in total with the board president and since they are in Asian Games we will assess the situation after the conclusion of the games,” he said.
The message was blunt: results will matter, but so will conduct.
“First, we will see how the team performs at the Asian Games, then decide what needs to be done,” Babu added.
Bigger picture: results, mistakes, and missed steps
Behind the handshake controversy lies a broader concern about where Bangladesh women’s cricket is heading. Babu did not sugarcoat the situation.
“There are many shortcomings in the team. We have not been able to beat the bigger teams. We played well in the World Cup too but lost because of small mistakes. We are working to make the team stronger and more competitive.”
Those “small mistakes” have become a recurring theme: promising spells with bat or ball undone by lapses in execution, tactical errors, or nerves at key moments. The Asia Cup semi-final, with a chase that never quite caught fire, felt like another entry in the same file.
For Nigar, the equation is stark. Her leadership, her form, and now her judgment off the field will all be under the microscope when the board sits down after the Asian Games.
“After the Asian Games we will decide what can be done,” Babu concluded.
The handshake was just a moment. The verdict on her captaincy will define much more than that.
