Aliss’ rocky ride to national team

Aliss Al Islam introduced himself to the world in grand fashion when he picked up a hattrick in his very first Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) game for Dhaka Dynamites back in 2019. Aliss was handpicked by Khaled Mahmud Sujon after he had impressed with his bowling in the nets but despite his instant success, the 27-year-old cricketer soon went through a tumultuous period as he was out of the scene for almost a year over his questionable bowling action and injury issues. Playing for Comilla Victorians in the BPL this season, the mystery spinner has now earned a maiden T20I call-up for Bangladesh's upcoming Sri Lanka series at home next month. The cricketer talked about his journey and experience during an interview with Mazhar Uddin of The Daily Star. The excerpts of the interview are as follows: 

The Daily Star (DS): When and how did you get to know about your inclusion in the national team?
Aliss Al Islam (AAI): When the team was announced on Tuesday, I was at the gym unaware of it. I was going swimming when I came across Shoriful Islam outside the gym. He was the first one to congratulate me, saying that I was included in the Bangladesh T20 side for the upcoming Sri Lanka series. Shoriful even showed me the news link as I couldn't believe what he said to me.

DS: You went through a tough period in your career. Can you tell us about that time and how you overcame that period? 
AAI: The start was great as Khaled Mahmud Sujon sir gave me the opportunity to play in the BPL. But I suffered a ligament injury and was out of the tournament that season. It took me a year to recover after surgery. The next season, I played two matches in the BPL but things were not going well for me. Then the Covid-19 period came and I was out of cricket for a while and again my injury resurfaced.

DS: Who supported you during your injury period?
AAI: Khaled Mahmud Sujon sir arranged the money for my surgery from Dhaka Dynamites. But after the surgery, for the next three years during my recovery phase, I had to bear all the expenses on my own. To be honest, it was difficult for me both mentally and physically as I was uncertain about my future and career. However, I had the belief that I would recover and bounce back strongly.

DS: Did you expect a national team call-up after such a long gap? 
AAI: The dream [to represent the country] was always there but, interestingly, I didn't even have a team before the start of this BPL. [Mohammed] Salahuddin sir [Comilla Victorians coach] told me that he would pick me for his team. But I suffered a knee injury just before the draft and  Salahuddin sir then told me that he would pick me if I recovered in time. Luckily, I was able to recover before the tournament and I felt that I was in good shape as I was bowling well. So, I was confident that if I got the opportunity to play, I would do well. But to be honest, I never thought that I would get a national team call-up during this BPL.

DS: You had your bowling action reported during the first season of the BPL. Can you tell us about the process of how you worked on your bowling action? Did you make any changes?
AAI: I follow Sunil Narine, and even before my bowling action got reported, I used to follow his bowling. It's a bit difficult to bowl with my current bowling action as I am not able to rotate and swing my arm fully. So, generating pace with such an action becomes difficult. When my action was reported illegal and when I went to give the test again, they didn't find anything [wrong] at that time. However, I felt that I needed venom in my bowling and that I would not be able to dominate or survive at the top level if I did not improve my bowling. Since then, I worked on my bowling and tried to offer something different keeping my action unchanged. So, I started training at the Masco Shakib academy where I worked with Salahuddin sir and Humayun Kabir Shahin sir regarding my action, line and length and also on how to generate pace.

DS: What do you think are your strengths as a bowler?
AAI: Almost all the bowlers at the top level can spin the ball both ways these days but I think it is important to bowl in the right areas. So, I give a lot of emphasis on the line and length and let my variations do the trick.

DS: How are you planning to prepare yourself for international cricket?
AAI: I am doing my homework keeping the Sri Lankan batters in mind and, hopefully, if I get the opportunity, I will try to give my best.

DS: You went through ups and downs in your short career. Who do you want to dedicate the efforts that eventually saw you make it into the national team?
AAI: Obviously, my family as I would not be able to achieve anything in life if I did not get support from the family. It's a big thing for me that I got the motivation for four years when I was battling with injuries and my bowling action. My family assured me to continue playing cricket and supported me unconditionally. However, some people suggested I change my profession. Some even told me to settle abroad since some of my relatives live overseas. But my family always backed me. Other than my family, I would have to mention Salahuddin sir as he was the one who supported me a lot when I worked under him. He tried his best to improve my game and motivated me during that period.