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.

Early Life

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.

CAREER OVERVIEW

Table: Shathira Jakir Jessy’s Cricket Career at a Glance

Competition       Matches              Runs Scored       Top Score            Ball Bowled         Wickets

WODI    2              1              1              22           0

WT20I   1              –              –              –              –

WLA       9              133         62           342         15

WT20     13           57           22*         270         17

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shathira_Jakir

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.

Over the years, Jessy battled all the odds and remained steadfast in her pursuit of the sport. From playing through her first trimester to returning to the pitch three months after giving birth, nothing could keep Jessy away from cricket.

Throughout the journey, Jessy dedicated herself completely to cricket. In her pursuit to stay involved in the game, Jessy passed the umpiring test back in 2009, but couldn’t find any opportunity back then. She has since stayed active in cricket through hosting TV shows on cricket and commentating on domestic and international matches.

Jessy is also a certified level 2 cricket coach. She obtained her coaching certification from Malaysia to explore coaching opportunities in the future.

JOURNEY AS AN INTERNATIONAL UMPIRE

Jessy started her umpiring career by officiating matches in the third-division league in 2022. She even went to India to officiate T20 matches.  She is the first female umpire appointed by BCB and has since risen through the ranks to officiate first-division Dhaka Premier League.

Jessy has also officiated 9 international matches in her career thus far. Her first major breakthrough in international umpiring came when she was appointed to officiate matches in the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in 2023.

Among all the hurdles, Jessy also looks at the silver lining. Being a centrally contracted umpire of BCB, Jessy gets the same remuneration as her male counterparts. She believes that it’s a positive step towards bringing equality to the game and umpiring.

But Jessy feels that there’s a long way to go to normalize female umpiring in Bangladesh. Following her footsteps, Mishu Chowdhury has also been appointed by BCB with four others being appointed to the umpiring development panel of ICC.

UMPIRING IN WOMEN’S ASIA CUP 2024

The zenith of Jessy’s umpiring career came this year. In a Facebook post, Jessy shared that she’ll be officiating the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from 18 to 28 July.

For Jessy however, this is only the beginning. Hailing from the small town of Lalmonirhat, Jessy has shown what dedication and perseverance can achieve. As she embarks on a groundbreaking journey in her umpiring career, it is going to be a shining example for all the women and girls aspiring to follow in her footsteps.