Three Bangladeshi women cricketers have registered for the upcoming Women’s IPL mega auction, scheduled to be held on 27 November in Delhi. The high-profile event will feature some of the world’s top female cricketers competing for limited team spots.

Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter, Shorna Akter and Rabeya Khan have entered their names in the auction, each with a base price of 3 million rupees. A total of 227 players have registered this year, including 83 overseas cricketers — but only 23 foreign players will be able to secure team contracts.

Pacer Marufa Akter gained international attention during the recent Women’s ODI World Cup with her impressive swinging deliveries, notably dismissing Pakistan’s Omaima Sohail and Sidra Ameen. Her viral bowling clip even drew praise from Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga.

Shorna Akter contributed 116 runs and took six wickets in seven World Cup matches, showcasing her credentials as an all-rounder. Rabeya Khan also made her mark with seven wickets and 87 runs across seven matches.

The participation of three Bangladeshi players in the Women’s IPL auction is being seen as a significant step forward for women’s cricket in Bangladesh.

After 17 long years, international cricket has returned to Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, and Pakistan celebrated the occasion with a nail-biting victory over South Africa in the opening match of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday.

Faisalabad last hosted an international game in 2008, when Pakistan faced Bangladesh. Following the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Pakistan was exiled from hosting international cricket, forcing them to play home matches in the UAE. After recent infrastructure upgrades, the historic venue finally welcomed international cricket again.

Led by new ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan chased down South Africa’s 263-run target with two wickets in hand in the final over — giving Afridi a memorable win in his captaincy debut.

For South Africa, Quinton de Kock (63) and Luan-dre Pretorius (57) set a solid foundation, but Pakistan’s Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each to halt the visitors’ progress.

In reply, Pakistan’s openers Fakhar Zaman (45) and Saim Ayub (39) gave a strong start. Despite another failure from Babar Azam (7), middle-order batsmen Salman Agha (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (55) steadied the innings. Afridi’s unbeaten cameo ensured Pakistan’s thrilling win at home.

South Africa, missing several key players including captain Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, and Marco Jansen, fielded a young side under Matthew Breetzke. Despite the loss, Breetzke said, “It’s an opportunity for the youngsters to prove themselves.”

The remaining two ODIs will also be played at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on Thursday and Saturday.

The newly formed committee of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (COAB) held its first meeting online on Saturday. Newly elected president Mohammad Mithun reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a welfare fund for players.

“Our top priority is to earn the trust of both male and female cricketers,” Mithun said. “Even with our busy playing schedules, we will dedicate time to support players and run COAB efficiently.”

During the session, the association announced the heads of its permanent subcommittees. Shamsur Rahman was named head of administration, Irfan Sukkur of finance, and former cricketer Shahriar Hossain Bidyut will lead the ex-players’ committee.

Akbar Ali and Najmul Hossain Shanto were appointed to lead the current men’s players’ committee, while Rumana Ahmed will head the women’s players’ committee.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Imrul Kayes will oversee fundraising, Nurul Hasan Sohan will lead the media and communications committee, and both Mithun and Mominul Haque will jointly head the events committee.

The meeting also appointed corporate executive Shehzad Munim and sports journalist Mohammad Isam as advisors to the association.