What’s Bangladesh’s strategy for the Asia Cup?

Sep 1, 2025 - 20:00

On Sunday, Mohammad Salahuddin, the assistant coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, said that there will be no changes to the team or any experimentation before the Asia Cup.

Salahuddin told the media before the second T20I against the Netherlands that international cricket is very important.

“Listen, this isn’t really a place to try new things at the end of the day. This is cricket played around the world. I might have been able to try things if it had been a practice game. But in international cricket, you can’t do new things. “I have to make the choices that will help me win, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.

Salahuddin, on the other hand, ruled that out and instead focused on bringing the team together.

“In our line of work, there’s simply no time to be happy. “We can never be completely happy because you have to get better every day,” he said.

He also talked about how important it is to keep getting better.

“It’s really hard to play international cricket. Every instant offers new problems, whether they are in how you play, how you think, or the settings you are in. Salahuddin responded, “There’s nothing here to be happy about.”

The assistant coach said that the long time they had to be ready for the series was an unusual advantage.

He said, “This time we had more time to prepare, which gave us a chance to focus on everything, like fitness, fielding, and batting.”

“During international matches, there isn’t usually much of a break, so players don’t have much time to work on their own skills. He went on to say, “This time we had that chance, which is good for us.”

Salahuddin also acknowledged how much the players’ minds and skills had grown.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is how the players grow as cricketers.” Putting a lot of coaches in the dressing room doesn’t mean we’ll have good outcomes.

“What really matters is how the players act, get better, and think. And I see a lot of change in that area. “Insha’Allah, there will be even more in the future,” he said.

He was also thrilled that Saif Hassan was back in international cricket after a two-year break.

“I’ve told you previously not to promote someone too hastily or demote them too quickly. A player with a strong mind is one who does well and then comes back.

Salahuddin said, “He was known as a Test player and people thought he might not be good at white-ball cricket, but he proved them wrong and showed his character. Not everyone can do that.”

“International cricket is hard, and it’s usual to lose the first six or seven games. It’s hard to get over it mentally. The fact that he did it demonstrates what kind of person he is.

“He’s getting better because he worked hard on himself. I hope he can keep up the good work he did in yesterday’s game because this is very hard cricket. He ended by saying, “Success isn’t guaranteed; it depends on how consistently you keep it up over time.”

Bangladesh is in Group B and will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Hong Kong on September 11. They will then play Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on September 13 and 16, respectively.