Bangladesh's domestic cricket often faces criticism regarding its quality, despite being the main source of livelihood for many cricketers. Recently, top coach Mizanur Rahman Babul expressed frustration over National Cricket League (NCL) being referred to as "picnic cricket." Following in his footsteps, cricketer Jaker Ali has now voiced his disappointment over this issue.

Jaker, who has consistently performed in domestic cricket, recently excelled for the 'A' team, which led to his selection in the Test squad. Although he has played T20 matches for the national team, he hasn’t yet featured in an ODI. However, Jaker is in no rush to don the national jersey in the "unseen" format.

"I don’t focus on these things. When the time is right, InshaAllah, I’ll get my chance. My job is to keep scoring runs, performing, and working hard. That’s where my attention is," Jaker said.

Expressing his frustration over domestic first-class cricket being labeled as "picnic cricket," Jaker added, "First-class cricket is extremely important for us. It hurts a lot when people call it 'picnic cricket.' We know how much effort we put in as cricketers. So please, don’t say such things. It deeply saddens me."

"I've been playing first-class cricket since 2017. I know how hard it is to score every single run. Our domestic cricket is improving day by day, and it will continue to grow. Whether it’s any format, I always try to do well in domestic cricket. That’s the process I follow."