![Marufa Akter [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1793612770978_Marufa_Akter.jpg?type=hq)
Marufa Akter [Source: AFP]
Marufa Akter is set to miss Bangladesh’s white-ball tour of New Zealand. As per the schedule, the Bangladesh Women’s cricket team will face New Zealand in a series of three T20Is and three ODI matches between December 10 and December 23 in Nelson, Wellington and Mount Maunganui.
The cricketer is yet to attain full recovery from the ankle injury she sustained a few weeks ago. The Bangladesh team management also rested her from their final ODI match of the tour of Australia last month.
Marufa Akter unavailable for NZ tour, confirms BCB official
Marufa Akter is currently on four weeks of bed rest, and is only expected to start walking again in the first week of December. Since the Bangladesh Women’s team is schedule to depart for New Zealand on December 4 for a series starting from December 10 onwards, a top BCB official has confirmed that the board does not want to rush her return to competitive cricket.
While speaking with Cricbuzz, the official also described Marufa as one of Bangladesh’s premier cricketers at the moment, who needs to return to the field only after attaining complete recovery.
The official said, “She is unavailable for the tour of New Zealand as we don't want to rush her considering she is one of our premier cricketers and we need to make sure she returns back after recovering fully.”
The BCB official also added that by rushing Marufa’s return, the board and the selection committee will only be risking another ankle injury for the fast bowler.
How will Marufa Akter’s absence impact Bangladesh?
Compatible to the official’s claims, Marufa Akter is indeed one of the premier cricketers in the current Bangladesh Women’s team.
Aged just 21, she has already represented the Bangladesh national side in 37 ODIs and 52 T20I matches since making her debut across both formats in New Zealand back in December 2022 as a teenager.
She has collected 74 wickets combined in 87 innings for Bangladesh, including eight T20I scalps in just four innings of the recently-concluded Women’s Asia Cup 2026 in the UAE.
Her ability to generate pace and extract movement with the new ball could have been particularly valuable in New Zealand, where the seam-friendly conditions and early movement often offer assistance to fast bowlers.
As of now, it remains to be seen if young Marufa can make her return to the Bangladesh Women’s team by January next year.
