Still waiting for his next break

Five years after captaining Bangladesh to their historic Under-19 World Cup triumph, Akbar Ali is still waiting for his senior international debut.

The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter remains in the selectors' plans but is currently taking a break from the national setup, chief selector Habibul Bashar has said.

Akbar missed Bangladesh's recent representative squads and has been playing club cricket in England. Bashar indicated that the break is intended to give him time to assess his game and work on areas requiring improvement.

His progress has slowed while several members of Bangladesh's 2020 Under-19 World Cup-winning side have established themselves internationally.

Akbar, however, has continued to produce encouraging domestic performances. He scored a century for North Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League earlier this year and remains an important player for Rangpur Division.

He has previously been called up to the senior national team but is yet to make his international debut in any format.

For now, his return appears to depend on performances in domestic cricket and the wider Bangladesh pathway.

Once viewed as one of the country's brightest young leaders, Akbar faces the challenge of turning his domestic form into another opportunity at the highest level.