Sharmin Akhter’s half-century and a disciplined bowling performance earned Bangladesh a comfortable 21-run win over the USA in their opening Group B encounter of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier at the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Kathmandu, Nepal today.

The Bangladesh team are set to depart today for the T20 World Cup qualifiers in Nepal, starting on January 18.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is again relying on domestic tournaments and a short preparation camp instead of international fixtures to prepare the women's team for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers – repeating the approach taken before this year's Women's World Cup in India, which it later admitted was a mistake.

Bangladesh appear confident to book their place in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup next year by finishing as the top team in the four-team group in its Qualifier tournament, scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 18 to 25.