NEW DELHI: Bangladesh women's cricket captain Nigar Sultana Joty, who has been at the centre of a major controversy after being accused of physically assaulting junior players, has finally broken her silence and strongly denied the allegations. However, she sparked a fresh row by taking a swipe at India's World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
In an interview with Daily Cricket, Sultana not only defended herself but also referenced a controversial incident involving Harmanpreet Kaur during India's 2023 tour of Bangladesh.
During that series, the Indian captain had hit the stumps following an LBW decision and later called the umpiring "pathetic" in the post-match presentation, an episode that had made international headlines.
"Why would I hit anyone? I mean, why would I strike the stumps with my bat? Am I Harmanpreet, that I would go around hitting the stumps like that? Why would I do it?" Sultana said, making her denial both pointed and provocative.
"In my personal space, if I'm cooking or something, I might bang my bat around, I might hit my helmet - that's my own business. But why would I do something like that to someone else? Why would I get physical? Just because someone says so? You can ask the other players or anyone else whether I've ever done anything like that."
Out-of-favour Bangladesh pacer Jahanara Alam has levelled serious accusations against Nigar Sultana Joty, claiming that she "beats up" junior players.
"This is nothing new. Joty beats up the juniors a lot," Alam said. "Even during this World Cup, the juniors told me, 'No, I won't do this again. Then I'll have to get slapped again.' I heard from some people, 'I got beaten up yesterday.' Even during the Dubai tour, she called a junior into the room and slapped her."
The Bangladesh captain, however, rejected the allegations as completely unfounded, questioning why such complaints would be lodged against someone who has been out of the team setup for several years.
"The way I've been described in front of everyone - I'm not that kind of girl at all," she said. "If I really beat someone or harmed someone in any way, is there no team management, no manager, no coaching staff? Am I the ultimate authority then? Why would a player call someone living in Australia? She could’ve shared it with anyone here."
