Akbar Ali has said he holds no regrets about missing out on a place in the national team, following Rangpur Division’s successful defence of their National Cricket League (NCL) T20 title. The wicketkeeper-batter, who captained Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side in 2020, led Rangpur to back-to-back titles with a composed display of leadership.
Despite several of his former team-mates, including Shoriful Islam and Shamim Hossain, making the step up to international cricket, Akbar remains on the fringes. However, the 22-year-old insists he does not let it affect him.
“As a professional player, that kind of thinking does not help,” he said. “Of course, it feels good when I perform well, and bad when I do not. But I never think, ‘Why are they playing and I am not?’ What really bothers me is when I play poorly. That stays with me longer. I do not think too much about anything else. Wherever I get the chance to play, I just try to do well.”
Akbar credited Rangpur’s spinners for their crucial role in the final, noting that the timing of the match played into their tactical plans. After winning the toss and opting to field, Rangpur looked to make the most of the conditions before dew could affect the bowlers.
“We knew the game would start at five o’clock and that within 35 to 40 minutes dew would start to fall,” he explained. “That makes it difficult for spinners to grip the ball. So we wanted to use our spinners early, and I think they executed the plan brilliantly.”
Commenting on the lack of crowd support in Sylhet, Akbar pointed to greater enthusiasm for domestic cricket in other regions.
“There may not have been many spectators in Sylhet, but I am certain there would have been thousands if the matches were held in Rajshahi or Bogura,” he said. “I saw the long ticket queues in Bogura when we arrived and left the ground.”
As Rangpur celebrate another trophy under his leadership, Akbar continues to remain focused on his performances, confident that opportunities will come in due time.
