'Earlier 10 people would say negative things, now six do'

Nahida Akter became the first Bangladeshi women's cricketer to win the ICC Player of the Month award for November last year and also made it into the ICC Women's ODI team of 2023. In a conversation with The Daily Star a few days before Eid, Nahida said how she and her teammates are recharging during the Eid holidays before the jam-packed international schedule begins.

The Daily Star (DS): Where will you be spending your Eid?

Nahida Akter (NA): I will be in Dhaka during Eid. I was supposed to go to my village home but considering the hassle of travelling during the holidays I decided not to go this time. All members of my family are in Dhaka. So, I will celebrate Eid with all of them in Dhaka.

DS: As a player, you have had to celebrate Eid away from some times, how was that experience?

NA: It's definitely a sad feeling when you have to celebrate Eid away from home. But the national team is also like a family to me. On those Eids, I enjoy the time with my second family and share the joy with them. Still, it does feel a little bad. But as a professional cricketer, I have to accept these things.

DS: What's the difference between your childhood Eid celebrations and now?

NA: The main difference is that earlier I used to receive salami, now I have to give it.

DS: Do you receive more salami or give more?

NA: As I'm earning now, I have to give more. And I really enjoy doing it and also giving gifts to my family members. I have a younger brother, I have nephews and nieces from my sister's side. I enjoy doing it for them.

DS: What do you love the most about Eid?

NA: I love seeing my brother and father going to the mosque together for the Eid prayers. I bring them their Panjabi and prayer cap. Seeing them leave together for the prayers fills me with joy.

DS: Do you like to cook for Eid?

NA: No, my mother handles all the cooking. I try to lend a hand, but she doesn't allow me to do anything.

DS: Do you chat with teammates on Eid?

NA: Of course, we all get together on a group call on the day of Eid. I love chatting with them on Eid.

DS: How do you celebrate Eid when you are away with the national team?

NA: We have had to celebrate Eid abroad a few times, sometimes we have also celebrated Eid on a plane. We were in Qatar on one Eid, where the Eid happened one day before Bangladesh. We celebrated Eid in Qatar, then flew back home the next day and again celebrated Eid in Bangladesh. When spending Eid with the national team, I have fun hanging out with Ritu Moni, Joty (Nigar Sultana), and Happy (Murshida Khatun).

DS: You have a lot of matches coming up. Do you think celebrating Eid with the family will recharge you ahead of the busy schedule?

NA: We will be really busy in the coming days and won't get a lot of opportunities to spend time with the family. I'm trying to utilise this vacation as much as possible. Hopefully, the next few days will go great. I think we really needed this break to recover. When you are constantly playing matches, you are always under a lot of pressure. By relaxing now, we will be able to start the next series refreshed.

DS: The India series, Asia Cup and the World Cup are all coming up. What are you personally hoping to achieve from these engagements?

NA: I have no personal goals. For me, the team comes first. I will try to do whatever the team asks of me. I will be happy if I can play a role in the team winning.

DS: You are nine wickets away from becoming the first Bangladeshi in women's cricket to complete 100 wickets…

NA: I didn't know that, I'm hearing it first from you. I never count how many wickets I have. For me, the team always comes first. Contributing to the team's victory gives me the most joy.

DS: Do idolize any spinner in particular?

NA: I observe the bowling of many spinners. Whatever I like about their bowling, I try to adopt it in my bowling. I watch videos of many spinners. I observe the attacking approach of Shakib (Al Hasan) bhai's bowling and try to understand how he contains his emotions while bowling. I watch Jadeja's (Ravindra) bowling and try to take in what I can observe. Our current coach Dinuka (Hettiarachchi) supports me on and off the field. Thanks to him, I'm able to do my job well.

DS: The women's team is playing a lot of matches now and is receiving much more attention than before. You must be enjoying that.

NA: We are getting much more importance than before. Earlier, we were not under the ICC FTP, we didn't get many games. Now, we are lucky that we are getting a lot of matches. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is supporting us a lot.

DS: Has the society's outlook changed on women's sports?

NA: Definitely, compared to how things were five years ago, we have made a lot of progress. Yes, there are still some people who view it differently. But we are getting much more support, many people are now realising our importance. I feel that the situation has improved a lot from before. If earlier, 10 people used to say negative things, now maybe six do. I would consider that as an improvement