Bangladesh Women's National Cricket Team pacer broke down in tears while recalling some of the toughest times of her life. Like many other women cricketers, especially from southern Asia, Marufa Akter had to endure a lot of hardship and lack of support from society. Battling all trials and tribulations, the 20-year-old pacer today finds herself competing at the highest level, representing her country, Bangladesh, in international cricket and, at the time of writing, in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 being held in India and Sri Lanka. Fact Check: Did Bangladesh Women's Cricketers Play In A Burqa During the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 in India? Here's the Truth About Viral Pic.

In an interview with the broadcasters, Marufa Akter offered fans a glimpse into how tough her life was. Hailing from a poor financial background, Marufa Akter spoke about the discrimination she and her family had to endure. "Whenever there was a wedding or any other function, my family was never invited because we didn't have nice clothes. Our presence would be an embarrassment for them," the 20-year-old recalled in her interview while breaking down. You can watch Marufa Akter's full interview here.

Marufa Akter Speaks About Her Hardships

Furthermore, she also went on to talk about how unsupportive society was towards them and the discriminatory words her father had to hear from people because she used to wear T-shirts and pants for training. "My father is a farmer and while growing up, we did not have money. My father had to hear a lot of things every time he went to the market. They used to say, your daughter is finished. When I wore T-shirts and pants for training, they used to point fingers at him."

"When my father was not at home, people came to my house and said terrible things to my mother. She used to cry in a room. I used to cry as well, thinking that all of this is happening because of me," she added. Mithali Raj Stand, Raavi Kalpana Gate Unveiled at ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam Ahead of IND-W vs AUS-W ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Match.

Despite all the discrimination from her society, Marufa Akter did not give up on herself. "I decided that I needed to change this and prove myself to them by doing something good." The young fast bowler also shared a message for young girls in Bangladesh, urging them not to listen to anyone and to carry on pursuing their dreams. If you follow your goal, the Almighty will bless you with success. Your dreams will come true," she said, concluding the interview.

Marufa Akter made her international debut in the year 2022 in a T20I against the New Zealand Women's National Cricket Team. She has so far featured in 30 ODIs and the same number of T20Is, where she has picked up 25 and 20 wickets, respectively. In four matches in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, Marufa Akter has picked up five wickets with an economy of just 6.26. Marufa Akter also was named Player of the Match in the PAK-W vs BAN-W match, where she picked up two wickets for 31 runs.

TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:5

TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (JioHotstar). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2025 06:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).