Liton sidelined in ‘most deserving’ Jaker’s favour

Bangladesh opener Liton Das was omitted from the 15-member squad for the third ODI against Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place in Chattogram tomorrow. The move comes on the heels of his persisting struggle with form, notably marked by consecutive dismissals for ducks in the ongoing home ODI series against the visitors.

With the series finely poised at 1-1 following Sri Lanka's three-wicket victory in the second match, the selectors deemed it imperative to offer the team greater flexibility and depth in batting resources. And thus, in Liton's place, promising talent Jaker Ali Anik has been drafted to bolster the middle-order options for the Tigers.

Despite his established credentials as an impact player who appears unstoppable when on song, Liton's recent statistics in ODIs paint a sobering picture of his struggles at the international level. Averaging just 24.11 since 2023, the elegant stroke-maker's inability to convert starts into substantial scores had long been raising concerns within the team management.

New chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu iterated the rationale behind the decision, citing Liton's lacklustre performances in one-day internationalsas the primary factor influencing the change.

"Since the series is ongoing, there is not much room for change. However, for being highly inconsistent in tacking the new ball, we are not keeping Liton for the third ODI," Lipu told the media.

For Jaker, this presents a golden opportunity to keep showcasing his ability to deliver under pressure on the international stage. While yet to debut in ODIs, the 26-year-old showcased glimpses of his potential during the preceding T20I series against the Lankans.

"We believe Jaker Ali's addition will provide the team with more options and flexibility in the middle-order," Lipu said, terming Jaker as "the most deserving candidate".

As the Bangladesh squad already possess backup openers in Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Anamul Haque Bijoy, the selectors did not opt for a like-for-like replacement.

"We took the opinions of the coach and the captain and we considered whether a middle-order batter could be Liton's replacement because there is a gap in the middle-order. Here, Jaker Ali Anik is a suitable candidate as a keeper-batter," Lipu informed, adding that Jaker's ability to play both roles, at the top and as well as a finisher, has also worked in his favour.

Meanwhile, amidst Liton's struggles, esteemed coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim has called for patience and support from the cricketing fraternity. Recognising the mental toll of prolonged lean patches, Fahim cautioned against subjecting Liton to undue pressure.

"I think it is important for the team management and all the players to support Liton and be by his side, considering that he might fail a few more times and that he would take some time to regain his form. As I said, it is a mental game. Putting pressure on him from the outside will only make things tougher for him," Fahim opined.

Drawing attention to the technical nuances of Liton's dismissals, Fahim highlighted the need for a balanced approach to batting.

"The delivery to which he got out [on Friday], it would not have been difficult for him to play that on the ground with soft hands. Maybe his body has gotten stiffer [as he has not been amongst runs recently]," Fahim said about Liton's dismissal.

"Not that he is taking things casually, he is cautious. But maybe he gets too cautious at times. It is very important to have confidence when batting. Things get trickier for him when the ball swings at the beginning of the innings," added the veteran coach.