Courtesy: Google
Jahanara Alam, one of the best women’s cricketers in the history of Bangladesh, has taken an indefinite break from cricket due to mental health issues. In a letter sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Jahanara Alam wrote that she isn’t ready mentally to continue playing for the national team, and needs a break from the sport for at least two months, as revealed by Habibul Bashar, the incharge of women’s wing of cricket in the country.
In her international career, which began in 2011, Bangladesh pacer bowler Jahanara Alam, who is a pace bowler, played 52 ODIs and 83 T20I matches for the country over the last 13 years or so. After not being a part of the Bangladesh set up for well over a year, she made her return to the national team in July 2024 ahead of the T20 World Cup, in which she didn’t play any of the matches despite being a part of the squad.
Jahanara Alam had given us a letter stating that she was not mentally ready to play: Habibul Bashar
The last international appearance for Jahanara Alam in Bangladesh colours was against Ireland in a T20I in Sylhet last month. Habibul Bashar revealed the details about the letter sent to the BCB by Jahanara Alam, telling them out her mental health break, and he was quoted as saying, as per Cricbuzz, “She had given us a letter stating that she was not mentally ready to play and took a break from cricket for two months.”
“She even said that if necessary, she should not be kept in the contract. We need to respect that because if someone feels that she is not mentally ready and wants to take a break for some days, we need to accept that. There is no specific time frame for which she is out. Whenever she feels well, she will let us know,” Habibul Bashar further said about the Jahanara Alam situation.
Moreover, the BCB have announced the women’s squad, excluding Jahanara Alam, for their upcoming tour to West Indies, consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is, which will be played at the Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts.
