Out-of-favour Bangladesh pacer Jahanara Alam has levelled serious accusations against national skipper Nigar Sultana Joty and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after the team’s 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup campaign. Alam accused Nigar Sultana of assaulting juniors and creating a toxic team environment — claims the BCB dismissed as “baseless.”
The 32-year-old, who last played for Bangladesh in December 2024, made these explosive claims in an interview with the Bangladeshi daily Kaler Kantho. She claimed that Nigar Sultana frequently “beats up” junior players, adding that several youngsters are hesitant to join the national team due to the alleged harassment.
“This is nothing new. Joty beats up the juniors a lot. Even during this World Cup, the juniors told me, ‘No, I won’t do this again. Then I’ll have to get slapped again.’ I heard from some people, ‘I got beaten up yesterday.’ Even during the Dubai tour, she called a junior into the room and slapped her,” Alam told Kaler Kantho.
A veteran of 52 ODIs and 83 T20Is with 108 wickets, Jahanara Alam has not featured for Bangladesh since December 2024 after missing the World Cup squad. She also alleged long-standing favouritism and internal politics in the team, claiming senior players are often sidelined.
“Actually, I’m not alone — almost everyone in the Bangladesh team has faced some kind of suffering. Only one or two players get special treatment. In 2021, the process of removing seniors like me began after the post-Covid camp. I was made captain of one of the three teams in the Bangladesh Games, while Jyoti (Nigar Sultana) and Sharmin Sultana led the others. The pressure on senior players started from then,” she said.
In January 2025, the BCB stated that Jahanara Alam had taken a break from international cricket due to mental health reasons and had requested to be excluded from the central contracts list. Now residing in Sydney, Australia, her chances of returning to the national team appear slim amid the ongoing controversy.
Bangladesh Board Dismisses Allegations
The Bangladesh Cricket Board issued a statement rejecting Alam’s accusations, describing them as “intentional” and “malicious.”
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken note of recent remarks made in the media by a former member of the Bangladesh Women’s National Cricket Team, in which she has made a series of allegations against the current National Team Captain, players, staff and team management,” the statement read.
“The BCB categorically and strongly refutes these allegations, which are baseless, fabricated and devoid of any truth. The Board finds it unfortunate that such derogatory and scandalous claims have been made at a time when the Bangladesh Women’s Team is showing commendable progress and unity on the international stage.”
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