Jaker storm exposes team’s lack of foresight

Jaker Ali Anik almost scripted one of the most memorable victories in Twenty20s for Bangladesh with an lionhearted 68 off 34 balls in the first Twenty20 against Sri Lanka yesterday, an innings that displayed his immense potential as a finisher and the poor planning of the Bangladesh team management. 

Jaker was not part of the original 15-man squad for the three T20s against Sri Lanka and came in as replacement for the injured spinner Aliss Al Islam.

The wicketkeeper-batter came into bat at number six yesterday when the team was stuttering at 68 for 4 chasing 207 and the match was already slipping away from Bangladesh's grasps.

His defiant batting display, which featured four fours and six sixes entertained the thousands present at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and reduced the margin of defeat significantly.

Jaker's presence in the squad and yesterday's match was justified given his performance for Comilla Victorians in the recently concluded

Bangladesh Premier League, where he scored 199 runs in 10 innings at an average of 99.5, but it also raised questions about what the team management's original plans were for the series.

Out of the 15-man squad for the series, the only two batters left out from the first T20 were Mohamad Naim and Anamul Haque—both opening batsmen.

If Jaker, who came to bat at number six, was not a part of the squad, either of the two would have to take his place.

Comilla coach Mohammad Salahuddin had pointed out the glaring error in the squad selection for the T20 series against Sri Lanka during the BPL.

"You look for players to bat at number six and seven and this guy [Jaker] has been doing well for the last two years. He scores runs at the crucial moments for us and is sensible. I feel that this boy should be given opportunity," said the Comilla head coach.

"I saw the Bangladesh team and there are five openers and just two middle-order batters. Maybe there is an advantage that Bangladesh will always open even in the 16th or 17th over," he added.

Perhaps his criticism helped Jaker, as the current selection panel tried to correct the error made by the previous selection committee led by Minhajul Abedin and coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who is also part of the selection process, by including him in place of Aliss.

"In addition to Aliss, we have three other frontline spinners in Rishad [Hossan], Taijul [Islam], and Shak Mahedi [Hasan] in the T20 squad. We believe that instead of adding another spinner to replace Aliss, the team's balance would be better served by including someone like Jaker

Ali, who can bolster the middle or lower-middle order and serve as a finisher," current chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said, explaining Jaker's addition.

The 26-year-old made use of the opportunity with a spectacular knock that almost took Bangladesh to a memorable come from behind victory.

Jaker's brilliant innings ended in the final over, when he got caught at long off but this innings would surely cement his spot in the T20 setup and give a reminder on the importance of picking specialist finishers and not makeshift ones.