Jaker Ali has stated the importance of first-class cricket after getting called up to the national team squad for their upcoming two-Test series in India.
He thinks Bangladesh have a good chance to shock the hosts, India, where no one could beat them in a series for almost 12 years.聽
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is yet to play a Test match. But he鈥檚 now one step closer to fulfilling his dream, as the national selectors have called him up after pacer Shoriful Islam failed to recover fully from a groin injury.
鈥極f course it鈥檚 a great feeling鈥�, Jaker told reporters on Friday in Mirpur. 鈥楨very cricketer has the dream to play in Tests. And to get the chance to play it feels nice.鈥櫬�
Jaker thinks that it is a reward for him to stay in the process.
鈥業鈥檝e been playing in the first-class since 2017 [December 2016]. Whatever the format is, I try to play well in domestic cricket. I follow the same process,鈥� he said.
The middle-order batter, who has played 49 first-class matches till now, has said that there is no denying in the importance of the first-class system.
鈥楩irst-class cricket is very important for us. It hurts so much when someone says that [our first class cricket is] picnic cricket. We know as cricketers how much struggle we go through to play. So please don鈥檛 say these things,鈥� said Jaker.
鈥楾hese hurt so much. I鈥檝e been playing since 2017. I know how I work hard. How tough it is to score a single run. So I urge everyone to [don鈥檛 say these]. We will work harder, insha鈥檃llah. Our First Class is improving day by day. It鈥檒l improve more.鈥櫬�
Jaker also believes that the Tigers will carry the confidence from the Pakistan series.
鈥楾he confidence will be there certainly, as the last series went very well. I think this year we will try to do those things we鈥檝e never been able to do.鈥櫬�