Jaker is likely to make his debut with white ball when the middle-order wicketkeeper-batsman earned maiden call up for the India bound Test team, as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the squad with inclusion of his name.
The BCB included Jaker Ali in the Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against India on Thursday, when the selectors picked him to replace the injured pace bowler Shoriful Islam, who is yet to recover a groin injury.
Jaker tipped off that he can make impact in red-ball cricket away from home when Bangladesh ‘A’ team’s tour of Pakistan last month, hitting a 172 off 286 balls at a strike rate 60.13 against Pakistan Shaheens in the second of the two four-day games.
In that match, he came to bat after early batting collapse with losing four wickets and departed as the ninth batter, proving himself a deserving candidate for the Test side.
Considering Jaker Ali’s dedication and confidence during the crisis situations coaches and the selectors believe that he is the best option for the tough India tour.
Hannan Sarkar, after announcing the squad, in a press meet told that they are responsive with the significance of winning combination.
Hannan said, “Looking at the team combination, we realise that we should spill out an option in the middle-order and extra batter was included keeping in mind the Indian conditions.
“We picked Jaker Ali as a middle-order batter. We had taken five pacers in Pakistan, but we are taking four to India,” Sarkar said. “We had taken Shahadat Hossain in place of Shakib but I wouldn’t say his performances were not up to the mark.”
“We have taken into account recent performances. Shahadat played four-day matches in Australia and Pakistan. He isn’t in rhythm. We think Jaker can be a useful player in the longer version if you consider his record in domestic first-class cricket. He played a splendid innings in Pakistan recently, batting for a long time. This is what kept Jaker a step ahead,” Hannan Sarkar revealed about Jaker’s inclusion.
Meanwhile, Jaker yet to play a Test and ODI, Jaker has represented Bangladesh in 17 T20Is since making his debut at the Asian Games in 2023. He has played 49 first-class games, and averages 41.47 with four centuries.
Jaker’s recent form also reflected, which included a 174 against Pakistan A in Islamabad, supported his cause.
Debut in last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou Jaker first drew attention of all in the shortest format with his brilliant display in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024, smashing 199 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 141.13.
Jaker earned a place for the home T20I series against Sri Lanka where he smashed 68 off 34 balls in the first match and nearly pulled off a thrilling win for the Tigers, chasing 207.
