From taped tennis to T20Is: Saqlain’s unlikely rise
Earning his maiden callup to the national team at the age of 28, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain is a late-bloomer by Bangladesh cricket’s standards.
On Tuesday, the medium fast bowling all-rounder was named in Bangladesh’s 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to begin in Chattogram on April 29.
The reason behind his delayed entry into the Bangladesh side is the unconventional route he took through the backwaters of the country’s cricket.
If one traces how cricketers in Bangladesh make it to the national side, a familiar pattern will emerge.
First, they foray into age-level cricket, represent the country at the Under-15, 17, 19 levels, then get picked for 50-overs cricket by Dhaka clubs, if lucky, get a team in the T20 franchise competition Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and then play red-ball cricket at the National Cricket League (NCL) or the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL).
But Saqlain’s journey has been different from the get go, having never played age-level cricket at all.
He started playing cricket for just the fun of it, with a taped-tennis ball in Saidpur. That’s where he grabbed the attention of local coaches, was encouraged to pick up a cricket ball.
He then grinded away at the third and second division cricket for a few years before getting a chance at the First-class and then List-A level.
He made his debut at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) just last season, and made a considerable impact for champions Rajshahi Warriors with nine wickets in nine appearances at an economy rate of barely over six.
What Saqlain lacks in pace, he makes up with a bag of tricks, deceiving the batters with different variations and always keeping them guessing.
His batting, an underrated aspect of his game, got some attention in the BPL when he smashed a 15-ball 32 against Chattogram Royals.
Saqlain may not have the technique to survive as a proper batter, he is more than handy as a slogger down the order who can deliver some lusty blows.
Before the BPL, he had made a positive impression for the Bangladesh ‘A’ team in last year’s Asia Cup Rising Stars.
His performances for the ‘A’ team and in the BPL proved he could turn into a very good addition in T20Is for Bangladesh. Still, because of the logjam of pacers in the Bangladesh setup right now, getting into the T20I side seemed like a difficult task for the all-rounder.
But luckily for him, the newly appointed national selection panel, led by Habibul Bashar, chose to bring him and his Rajshahi Warriors teammate and another promising pacer Ripon Mondol into the side for the New Zealand T20Is, presenting the duo with a rare opportunity to make a mark in the T20I side.
Time for watching from the sidelines is over for Saqlain as the opportunity to prove his worth has arrived.