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"He Hasn't Told...": Jaker Ali Spills The Bean On Method Used By New Power-Hitting Coach

Arnav Chopra

Julian Wood and Jaker Ali (Source: @PunjabKingsIPL, @BCBtigers/X.com)Julian Wood and Jaker Ali (Source: @PunjabKingsIPL, @BCBtigers/X.com)

Bangladeshi wicket-keeper batter Jaker Ali has commended new power-hitting coach Julian Wood for his batting methods. Previously, Wood was appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the upcoming term as the new specialist power-hitting coach.

Jaker Ali Highly Impressed By Wood's New Technique

Jaker Ali, who has been one of Bangladesh's most dependable new batters, especially in white-ball formats due to his big-hitting abilities, has managed to carve out a reputation as a power hitter.

Previously, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed specialist Julian Wood as the new power-hitting coach for the upcoming period, as he will be serving with the side for the upcoming series against the Netherlands, while the main goal will be the Asia Cup 2025. It is worth noting that Wood worked with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2022 as batting consultant and yielded favourable results.

It was revealed that Wood introduced new equipment called the Pro Velocity Bat, which was turning heads, especially in the cricket fraternity, as it was primarily used for baseball hitting technique.

However, Ali has backed the approach and believes that it is beneficial for every batter with their unique style of play. Speaking exclusively to Cricbuzz, Ali maintained that everyone has a different kind of swing, and it does not matter whether they prefer a golf swing or a baseball swing.

"Everyone's swing is different. Some people swing like baseball players, others like golfers. It depends on who chooses what. After coming here, he said, 'I want to bring changes within your basics. I don't want to add anything drastically different.' So he's been working according to individual patterns,"  Jaker said to Cricbuzz.

Jaker then went on to emphasise the fact that Wood has not asked anyone to become a power hitter; instead, his focus is on ensuring that batters play with their regular, original technique, as he wants them to cross the boundary by going an additional distance.

"He hasn't told anyone to become power hitters. He works with players so they can clear an additional four, five, or six meters to hit sixes instead of getting dismissed. You get nothing when you're out, but you get another chance to score big if you hit a six,"  he further mentioned.

The batter then focused on the fact that the coach wants to ensure that all the batters, not just the genetically gifted ones, are able to clear the fence in short-form cricket.

"Julian has been working on improving our power-hitting abilities-helping those who are genetically gifted to do better, and enabling others to clear an extra two or three meters,"   Ali commented.

Ali Aims For The Gold In Upcoming Asia Cup 2025

With the training camp currently going on, the Bangladesh players are focusing on the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Netherlands, while they will then be competing in the Asia Cup.

Ali further mentioned that he wants to win the Asia Cup for his side, as this is his personal goal, with his mindset being clear this time around.

"Inshallah, this time we're heading into the Asia Cup aiming to become champions. Speaking personally, I'm going there to win the title,"  he concluded.

The Asia Cup 2025 will be played in the UAE, with the Afghanistan-Hong Kong game on September 9th, while Bangladesh will face Hong Kong on September 11th at Abu Dhabi in their opening encounter.