From Mahmudullah to Jaker: Finishers’ arduous road in Bangladesh cricket

The tale of cricketers who had functioned as finishers in Bangladesh T20 cricket history is a short and painful one. To perceive the difficulty of Jaker Ali Anik's task, one would have to look no further than Mahmudullah Riyad.

Mahmudullah – who returned to the T20 side after playing his last match in the format in 2022 – had mostly batted in the Tigers' lower-middle-order over the years and had to endure being dropped, his role's execution questioned periodically.

It is a role that often wants impact, such as a quick-fire knock, but in Bangladesh's perspective, it is also one where a rescue act is often needed because the top-order had been prone to succumbing early -- much like what transpired in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Monday when both Mahmudullah and Jaker's resurgence act went in vain in a three-run loss for the hosts.

Despite Jaker's 34-ball 68 against the tide, the batter-keeper will brace himself to deal with the impending uncertainty to keep his place in the side, as Mahmudullah did despite having had been a consistent performer.

Given how Jaker had been performing in the domestic circuit over the last couple of years, his Sylhet Division coach Rajin Saleh finds a few positives in Jaker's late inclusion to the squad and reckons that his qualities and domestic experience across all formats can prove beneficial for him and the team.

"As a coach, I don't feel that a player should come in after performing for a year in domestic cricket. When a player performs for three to four years in domestic, it becomes easier to manage international cricket. He performed consistently in domestic cricket, either BPL [Bangladesh Premier League] or DPL [Dhaka Premier League] for three years, and he came prepared to the Bangladesh team. He deserves it and now he is playing," Rajin told The Daily Star.

Even the recent performances for Comilla Victorians in BPL did not get him a place in the side. One would argue this was a lack of vision from the team's think-tank, especially in a T20 World Cup year, as there had been outcries over lack of power-hitting and players who fulfil roles as finishers.

Perhaps Comilla Victorians coach Mohammad Salahuddin's criticism over Jaker's exclusion from the T20 squad had led to a reversal after Aliss Al Islam's injury.

"Jaker playing was a lucky instant. Where was the backup in the middle-order slot?" Rajin echoed similar sentiments as Salahuddin.

"You need to give players freedom. With so few middle-order batters, where was the backup if someone was injured? I don't mind [having extra] pacers but you could have also kept [Mohammad] Saifuddin in consideration," said the former Bangladesh cricketer, who played 24 Tests and 43 ODIs during 2003-2008.

"Every position is difficult, but the toughest one is the lower-middle order positions at the death. It's about pressure and scoring in a few deliveries. Jaker had been performing in this position but I hope he is given time and allowed to free his wings. I know him, he is a coach's player and he will play in accordance with the coach's guidance. When I told him to hit in a certain manner, he would execute what I asked. The coach just has to talk to him openly," he added.

Jaker is a hard worker too, Rajin reminds. "I only talked to him about tactical things but not his technical side, like his hitting base or backlift. He has been working on improving these for two years because after he was dropped, he came and talked only about dedication. When he practices, he used to annoy us with how much practice he was doing."

Rajin feels a lack of nursing has had an effect on players coming in and then being dropped in the national side. But as Jaker eventually got in on luck, the road ahead will be tricky. Mahmudullah would know it pretty well for it is not a position where one clicks game after game.