First Bangladeshi Woman to Become an International Umpire

Sports Desk

While men’s cricket gets a lot of attention, the history of women in cricket is also no less impressive. The first recorded instance of women in cricket goes back to 1745 and the first Women’s One Day International (WODI) was played in 1934. Over the years, the participation and fan following surrounding women’s cricket has only increased, and one of our very own has taken the flag to new heights. We’re talking about none other than Shathira Jakir Jessy, the first Bangladeshi woman to become an international umpire.
Shathira Jakir Jessy was born in 1990 in Lalmonirhat. Her father, a banker, and mother, a head teacher, were very supportive of her love for cricket. Through her mother, Jessy first got into Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) in shooting as women’s cricket wasn’t offered by BKSP at that time.
Over the years, Jessy persisted and when women’s cricket finally took off in 2007, Jessy found her calling. And the rest is history. Jessey was one of the incipient players of the Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket Team. With three international games, Jessey didn’t get to represent Bangladesh much in the international arena. However, she persisted in the domestic circuit against many odds. Jessy played for Rangpur division in List A and domestic T20 matches.
According to Jessy, she was unfairly dropped from the national team in 2012 due to her marriage. At that time, the coach acted unfavorably in the matter which saw her being disqualified even at the top of her form, she said.