Bangladesh women's cricket team gets Test status

Ten years into international cricket, Bangladesh women's cricket team finally got Test status on April 01. On Thursday, the ICC board and committee meeting decided to grant Test and ODI status to all Full Member women's teams. 

"It was decided that Test and ODI status shall be permanently awarded to all Full Member women's teams," the ICC said through a press release on Thursday.

Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, chairman of the BCB's women's wing confirmed the news to The Business Standard (TBS).

"ICC had a meeting yesterday (Thursday). There they decided to grant Test status to all the Full Member women's teams," Nadel told TBS.

"Of course, we're really happy. I believe t will open up new horizons in our cricket," he added. 

Nadel mentioned that BCB already had some plans for the longer version so that our girls could get Test status. They had already started 2 or 3-day cricket to accustom the girls to Test cricket. 

"Now that we have got Test status, we have to develop our girls that way."

Nadel said there are currently no plans to organize any international Test series due to the Covid situation, but they will try to arrange one as soon as the situation gets normal. 

So far, only ten women's teams have played Test cricket: Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland and Netherlands.

Ireland and Netherlands are the only associate teams to play Test cricket.

Apart from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will be eligible to play Test cricket now. 

Bangladesh women's team's international journey began in 2011 when they defeated USA to claim ODI status for the first time. In 2018, they won the Asia Cup T20 in Malaysia. The Tigresses are yet to break into a 50-over World Cup even though they have made four T20 World Cup appearances.