Rumana Ahmed Voices Frustration Over BCB's Selection Policy: "Being a Senior Shouldn't Be a Curse"

Former Bangladesh women’s team regular Rumana Ahmed has publicly expressed her shock, anger, and disappointment over being repeatedly overlooked for national selection without any clear explanation from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). In a strongly-worded post on her verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Rumana questioned the BCB’s selection policies and claimed her career was being “destroyed” simply because she is a senior player.

“I play or not—that’s not the issue. This injustice and chaos cannot continue. Please give a clear explanation,” she wrote. “It’s not fun being sidelined for three years without any reason! My records show I don’t play bad cricket, nor have I done anything unethical. Being a senior can never be a curse.”

Rumana further demanded accountability for those responsible for the decline of her once-promising career.

The 32-year-old all-rounder was left out of the national squad for the Women’s World Cup qualifiers, and has also been missing from several recent series. Her exclusion from the 2023 Sri Lanka tour was attributed to “fitness issues,” though the board had initially labeled it as “rest.” Rumana publicly rejected that explanation at the time, going so far as to post “No more cricket…” on her social media and hinting that she would soon speak out formally.

Rumana Ahmed has been a key figure in Bangladesh women’s cricket since her international debut in 2011, amassing 963 runs and 50 wickets in 50 ODIs, and 866 runs and 75 wickets in 87 T20Is. She played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s historic 2018 Women’s Asia Cup triumph, the team’s first-ever title in a major tournament.

Her public statement has reignited conversations about transparency and communication in team selections, particularly with respect to senior players in women’s cricket.