Jaker’s voice of self-criticism, vows to bounce back against Afghanistan

Bangladesh had a poor start against Sri Lanka. Losing quick wickets in the powerplay left them reeling before Jaker Ali Anik and Shamim Hossain Patowary rebuilt with an 86-run stand for the sixth wicket, helping the side reach a respectable total. But it wasn’t enough, as Sri Lanka cruised to a six-wicket win with 32 balls to spare.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jaker admitted frankly that the early batting collapse proved too costly.

On the harsh reality of the game, Jaker said,"We lost two wickets in the powerplay, and from that point, the match became difficult. We tried to recover. Patowary and I did as much as we could. But with more wickets in hand, we could have taken more risks."

Despite Bangladesh being 53 for 5, Jaker and Shamim’s cautious batting lifted the total to 139. Yet the score wasn’t enough to put up a real fight. The failure of the rest of the batting lineup was glaring, and Jaker himself admitted that individual performances don’t guarantee team success.

"I played well, Patowary played well, but that doesn’t mean the team played well. To win, everyone has to perform together," Jaker remarked.

Conditions too, were challenging. The extreme heat and the breeze from one side made batting difficult. Jaker explained,"You have to keep the wind in mind. You can’t hit on both sides, you have to play on one side. Taking too many singles makes you tired. Still, we tried. Sri Lanka bowled really well."

Taskin Ahmed was left out of the XI for this match. When asked about it, Jaker replied, "That was a decision taken on the field."

And was there a lack of batting plans? Jaker clarified, "There was no lack of preparation, but there was a problem in execution."

The inconsistency of the top order has been a recurring concern. Neither Emon nor Tamim has been able to show stability. Jaker emphasized the importance of responsibility in the top three batting positions, "You don’t need to hit a four or six off every ball. Drop and run, play smart cricket. I’m sure they will think about these things."

Looking ahead to their next match against Afghanistan, Jaker stressed the team’s determination to fight back, "There’s no question of losing hope. We play to win. Just because we lost one match doesn’t mean we’ll sit down disappointed."