'Variations might make a big difference’

Marufa Akter burst onto the scene as one of Bangladesh's most promising pace bowlers. Her blend of youthful exuberance, skill, and ambition quickly earned her a key role in the national team. The 20-year-old pacer from Nilphamari spoke to The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi about her injury setbacks, her World Cup ambitions, and the drive to keep improving. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): This is your first ODI World Cup and undoubtedly the biggest event of your career. How do you feel about playing on this stage?

Marufa Akter (MA): I feel very lucky that the Almighty has given me this opportunity. Everyone dreams of playing in an ODI World Cup, and I had that dream too. It's a feeling I honestly can't describe in words – I'm extremely excited about this tournament.

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DS: The team hasn't played any international series since the World Cup qualifiers. As a pacer, how do you view this in terms of preparation for such a major event?

MA: It's true that playing matches is necessary, but there's another side to it – personal preparation. If you practise properly and work the right way, then it won't affect you too much when you go into matches. Match experience is important, but so is how you prepare on your own.

DS: What specific aspects have you been working on recently?

MA: During my exam period, I had some breaks, and I used that time every week to work on bowling variations. Alamgir [Kabir] Sir joined after that, and our head coach Imran Sir also helped me a lot – especially with knuckle balls and other variations. It feels really good when I can use those variations while still maintaining line and length.

DS: Given that the wickets in India and Sri Lanka – being ICC event venues – are usually good for batting, do you feel variations could be crucial?

MA: Definitely. No matter how good a bowler you are, with the right variations, you can beat a batter. So yes, variations might make a big difference.

DS: How do you view the pace-bowling unit with you and [Fariha] Trisna, and what are the challenges ahead as the strike bowler?

MA: Our goal is to build a strong bowling partnership. The pacers will look to apply pressure, and then the spinners can capitalise – or it could work the other way around. I want to contribute in a way that helps us win matches. That's both my target and my biggest challenge.

DS: You've had to deal with injury while also managing your studies. How difficult was the recovery process?

MA: Exams are always stressful, especially when I had to stay up late at times. I had to do rehab work during that period and also keep up with regular gym sessions. My shoulder is a lot better now – just a bit of recovery is left. The BCB has supported me a lot during this time. My exams went okay – though maybe the ICT exam could've gone better (laughs).

DS: Your in-swingers have been your main weapon. Do you feel they've returned to full sharpness after the injury?

MA: I think I'm getting the swing back, and I'm happy with the variations I've added. Once I see the conditions at the tournament, I'll better understand what I need to extract from the wickets. Right now, I'm bowling at my average pace, but I'm hopeful I'll regain full sharpness by the time the World Cup begins.

DS: You've mentioned before that Hardik Pandya is your favourite player and that you enjoy batting because of him. How do you view your batting now?

MA: Honestly, whenever I go out to bat and try to play defensively, it just doesn't work. When I hit, I feel peace (smiles). I've always enjoyed batting. I don't know how much I can contribute, but I'd love to help the team with both bat and ball like Hardik. Still, as long as I can do whatever the team needs from me, that's enough.

DS: As part of preparation, the team played against age-level men's teams. How was that experience?

MA: They're very good players and play organised cricket. Even though they're young, they play a different kind of cricket. They're calm but aggressive – maybe because of their age. I enjoyed bowling against them; it was a different challenge. If you bowl a dot ball against them, you know your line and length is good – because if you get it slightly wrong, the ball can fly out of the ground.

DS: What would be your dream as a team at this World Cup?

MA: We're all hoping to do something special. But we're not thinking too far ahead – we're taking things one match at a time.

DS: And finally, how many wickets are you hoping to return with?

MA: That's a secret – but I'm keeping my fingers crossed (smiles).