Jaker Ali Anik, a talented wicketkeeper-batter, has finally earned his spot in the Bangladesh T20 side for the upcoming three-match series against Ireland after a prolific run in the domestic circuit over the last two years. Anik’s selection is a dream come true for his family, as his sister Shakila Bobby excitedly shared over the phone with a reporter, “Our dream came true; our brother got a call-up in the national team.”
Anik’s selection was well-deserved, as he has been in a rich vein of form. In the recently concluded Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), a first-class competition, he scored 492 runs at an average of 98.40, striking three centuries. Despite his impressive performance, Anik’s selection was unexpected as he was selected in place of Nurul Hasan Sohan.
Chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu feels that Anik can become a bright prospect for the Tigers in the shortest format, despite his performance being more worthy of a Test cap consideration. He scored 175 runs in 11 innings for Comilla Victorians in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League T20 competition and was also amongst the runs with the A team across formats.
When Anik received the news of his national call-up, he was busy playing for Abahani Limited in the Dhaka Premier League game against Mohammedan. Anik revealed to The Daily Star, “I got to know that I was included in the Bangladesh T20 side during the game. Sujon sir [Khaled Mahmud] had previously told me to get prepared as there might be a chance for me. But it was confirmed in the dugout today.”
Anik’s dedication and hard work have finally paid off, as he has been chasing his dream with sheer determination. His sister shared, “He got admitted in BKSP back in 2010, and since then he chased his dream with sheer determination and hard work. My brother has endured a lot. He never missed his practice while studying in BKSP, and at one point, he got an infection on his hand while training constantly. Since there was the selection of the Under-14 side, Anik hid his infection from the coaches and went to training wearing gloves.”
While Anik manages to hide his emotions, his sister reveals his dedication, which will be crucial for his upcoming challenge. The wicketkeeper-batter will need to prove his worth for the senior side, where the expectation would be to score quick runs in the late middle order. Anik played for the national age-level sides, including the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, and is preparing himself accordingly for the senior side. “I have batted in such a position [late middle order] in the BPL as I had the preparation to bat in such a position during that time. Even though I worked on slogging along with some of my personal preparations while training for Abahani, I am preparing myself accordingly,” said Anik.
All eyes will be on Anik as he takes on the challenge of proving his worth for the senior side. His family and fans are excited to see him in action and wish him all the very best for his upcoming matches.
