The Bhutanese women’s cricket team is in Malaysia ahead of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier. The team will play three practice matches at Johor before they head back to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to take on the United Arab Emirates in the tournament opener on the 31st of August.
The first of the three practice matches was played today, where the Bhutanese team defeated Johor Jewels by 136 runs.
However, the team is expecting tough competition in the remaining practice matches. According to Damber S Gurung, the CEO of the Bhutan Cricket Council Board, the team strategy is to commence by playing against an average team.
“This will help our girls to build confidence and acclimatise to the conditions,” said the CEO. For the next two practice matches, the Johor Cricket Council will introduce some under-19 boys to strengthen their team.
In the main draw, Bhutan is pegged in group A along with Bahrain, Malaysia, Nepal, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
In the second match, Bhutan will take on Qatar at the Bayuemas Oval on the 1st of September. The third match will be against Nepal on the 3rd of September before taking on host nation Malaysia the following day.
Bhutan’s final group match against Bahrain will be played on the 6th of September. Only the top two teams will advance to the Global Qualifier, which will be held early next year.
Sherub Dorji
