‘Felt I had to take the initiative for Bangladesh’

Shathira Jakir Jessy is set to create history in the upcoming ICC Women's World Cup in India and Sri Lanka by becoming the first woman umpire from Bangladesh to officiate in a senior World Cup. The former national cricketer started seriously pursuing umpiring in 2022, and within three years through hardship, sacrifice and dedication, has reached the highest stage. Before departing for the World Cup, the 34-year-old talked to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan about her journey as an umpire, her experiences and challenges in this profession. Here are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): You are set to make your senior World Cup debut as an umpire. How does it feel?

Shathira Jakir Jessy (SJJ): First of all, I am still very new at this. I hadn't expected this opportunity. My previous tournaments--the Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan and the Women's Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia this year--went very well. Maybe that's why I was picked. This is a huge chance for me. Now comes the big challenge -- working alongside some of the world's best umpires. There are many teams that are new to me, whose matches I've never officiated before. Adjusting to these situations and aligning myself with them will be tough, but I'm preparing for it. Hopefully, good things will happen.

DS: You were once a cricketer, then did anchoring and commentary before taking up umpiring full-time. When did you realise umpiring was the career path for you?

SJJ: I could have continued with commentary. But when I saw female umpires from Pakistan, Qatar, and the UAE, I asked myself, "Why isn't anyone from our country doing this?" Since I had completed the umpiring course a long time ago, I thought, okay, it's time to start. With no one else stepping up, I felt I had to take the initiative for Bangladesh. From then on, I took it seriously. I studied hard and gave up everything else to focus on umpiring.

DS: What specific challenges did you face in making this transition?

SJJ: I started from zero, treating it as an investment without knowing what the future held. I began at the root level with the men's Third Division matches, which were extremely challenging. Honestly, umpiring was never my passion, nor did I ever follow it closely, so everything was new to me. There are so many aspects players don't fully understand until they step into umpiring. I had to learn and study a lot, and physically I find it even harder than playing.

After the Women's Asia Cup in 2022 in Bangladesh, I set myself a goal: to do the next Women's Asia Cup. Once I achieved that, my next target was the World Cup. I worked hard for a year, and now I've been assigned both the U-19 and the senior World Cup.

DS: How much support have you received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board?

SJJ: Immense support. Whenever there was a match at any level that I wanted to officiate--whether it was in the district level, divisional level, or men's matches, I just informed the BCB. They always gave me preference and opportunities. Recently, they even assigned me to the men's Dhaka Premier League and for national team matches in Bangladesh. Even India hasn't dared to appoint a woman for men's national team matches, but Bangladesh already has. For that, I give full credit to the BCB, Mithu [Iftekhar Rahman Mithu] bhai, Abhi [Abdullah Al Noman] bhai, and the umpires' department.

DS: You mentioned the 2022 Asia Cup. What exactly was your role there?

SJJ: I worked as a Liaison Officer (LO) with a team. Initially, I didn't want to go, but Abhi bhai and Towhid [Mahmood] bhai convinced me. Before that, I had only done an exhibition match and after that I thought umpiring wasn't for me. So I stopped. But in 2022, when all the female umpires arrived for the Asia Cup, they encouraged me to go -- even if only as an LO. They said: "Go, see them up close. If you feel inspired to umpire, great; if not, no pressure". I agreed, thinking at least I'd be close to the action. But after going there, seeing all the female umpires and officials, I felt both proud and upset. Proud to see women there, but upset that Bangladesh--a Test-playing nation--had no representation. That's when I set my target to be part of the next Asia Cup.

DS: Umpiring requires quick and accurate decisions. How do you prepare yourself to meet those standards?

SJJ: You have to study constantly. If you don't read and update yourself, you won't know the laws and conditions, which change every year. Something you've memorised for years can suddenly change, and you might get confused. But as an umpire, you cannot make mistakes. Players expect us to know everything. That's why the preparation--both physical and mental--is so demanding.

DS: How many matches will you officiate at this World Cup?

SJJ: A total of nine matches: five as an on-field umpire, two as the TV umpire, and two as the reserve umpire. I think it's a very good assignment. I've received big matches and overall a very good schedule.