Marufa Akter is the new star of Bangladesh Women. ©Getty
Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter seems to be working on two things at once in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup - mastering her swing and improving her English. The right-arm fast bowler has already drawn attention for her ability to move the ball, but few know how determined she is to build her English vocabulary.
Bangladesh's batting coach, Nasiruddin Faruque, has made it a rule for Marufa to speak only in English during their conversations, a practice that has started to pay off. "When she comes to have a chat with me I ask her to talk in English and she is trying to do that to the best of her ability and as a result getting better than before when it comes to talking in English," Nasiruddin tells Cricbuzz.
Marufa echoed the same sentiment when asked about it. "He (Nasiruddin) inspires me a lot. He always tells me to speak in English with him to improve day by day. Whenever I talk with him, he tells me to say that in English and not in Bengali. That's how I practice English with him," she said with a smile.
While learning English remains a long-term project, Marufa's immediate focus is on her performance with the ball. In Bangladesh's opening two games, against Pakistan and England, she impressed with her sharp swing. It could have been even better had she not been forced off the field against England with a side strain before completing her quota of overs.
For now, she's
