Life is certainly not bed of roses for any star cricketer despite how it appears from outside, a glamorous fairly tale, if not anything else.

Cricket in Bangladesh is considered next to religion and as a result players are constantly hogging all spotlights both on and off the field.

However, male and women cricketers in Bangladesh don’t have the same slice of cake unlike some other cricketing nation where there is a conscious effort to minimize the difference between them, precisely as far as financial stability is concerned.

For any female cricketer in Bangladesh life is certainly hard as they have to break the social taboo to take the game as a profession while it can be equally scary for them as they are not sure what is in store for them after their career is over.

Sathihara Jessy, the former national star, opted to take umpiring as part of her profession after quitting the game while others following them with few exceptions trying their luck in different avenues.

Rumana Ahmed, the former captain of the Bangladesh women’s cricket team, is certainly experiencing what it feels to be at the other side of the table.

The 33-year all-rounder is nearing the twilight of her professional cricketing career while she has been in and out of the national team   over the past three years featuring in only five matches during that period.

Faced with limited opportunities on the field, she is now exploring alternative income streams, much like Bangladesh’s iconic cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, who has diversified his earnings through business ventures.

When asked about her future, Rumana spoke enthusiastically about her new pursuits.

‘’What I do apart from cricket nowadays this question is asked quite often in the recent past,” Rumana said.

 “Am I just a cricketer or am I doing something else?” she said adding that she feel it’s fair one as her cricket career graph is not running as smooth as it used to be.

“That’s a fair question since I am not a regular in the Bangladesh national team anymore. So that’s why I am sharing some new project which I am working on. I have a fisheries business in Khulna. I do like vegetables. So I am into that as well. Apart from that, I opened a gym. So I am pretty occupied nowadays,” she added.

But why not consider coaching, a natural progression for many retired cricketers? Rumana acknowledged the question and insisted she wants to enter coaching well prepared.

“That’s a good question – why do so much when I can be involved with cricket in so many ways, like coaching,” she said.

 “As you would know, it takes time to get into a career like coaching. And I am yet to retire from competitive cricket,” she said.

“I still feel I have a lot to give as a player, internationally. I wish to serve Bangladesh cricket, play for a while,” she said but with the present state of affair and the way she is getting involved in different projects it seems some kind of distant dream.

She elaborated on the demands of a coaching career, saying, “And you cannot just start coaching people when you want to. You need to go through some training, examinations and all. So I need more time to get into those things. I want to be prepared before getting into it. Don’t want to make a whimsical decision and make a fool out of myself. I want to be successful at what I do. I don’t want to seek someone’s reference to go up,’’ she concluded.

Rumana’s most recent appearance for Bangladesh was during the 2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. After a year-long absence, she made a comeback but was dropped again after modest performances. In three matches, she scored just 5*, 6*, and 1, failing to make a significant impact with the bat.

While her cricketing future remains uncertain, Rumana is embracing new opportunities with optimism. Her ventures in fisheries, agriculture, and fitness reflect a determined effort to secure her financial independence and redefine her career as she navigates the twilight of her playing days. In the business world, Rumana is determined to shine as brightly as she once did on the cricket field.