Salahuddin is looks to make impact as Bangladesh’s assistant coach

Dhaka: Senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin is looking forward to leaving a mark on Bangladesh’s cricket history after joining the side till next year’s Champions Trophy.

Salahuddin’s contract will align with the tenure of head coach Phil Simmons. He had previously worked with the Bangladesh team as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2010.

With the West Indies Test series up next, the four-time BPL winner coach with Comilla Victorians, Salahuddin, has begun preparations with Test players in Dhaka while the team is in Sharjah for the ODIs against Afghanistan. He will travel to the Caribbean with the Test players on Monday.

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“I think this is the right time (to work in the Bangladesh team). I might not be in coaching for much longer, maybe another four or five years. It will be great to help more generations of cricketers in my long coaching career – it won’t be right if I just know everything but can’t light a lamp. If I can do this job properly, it will be helpful for the team.

If I can have even a minimum impact, it will be worth it, despite how much time I have till the Champions Trophy. I may not be able to cause dramatic change, but if something I say can cause a change, I will be happy,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Salahuddin as saying.

“I might have a different role this time. I have to understand the philosophy of the head coach, how he wants to run the team. I have to help him. I just hope our boys get a bit more confident. I will also keep an eye on their communication with the foreign coaches,” he added.

Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, among others, benefitted from working with Salahuddin during his time as assistant coach. Since then, he has been instrumental in developing several players at the domestic level, including newcomers to the Bangladesh Test squad like Jaker Ali and Mahidul Islam Ankon.

“Please don’t be quick to label someone as a hero or a villain. When a player joins (the national team), they go through many processes and perform consistently to get into the team. They struggle a lot.

“In international matches, some players may take a few games to find success, while others succeed right away. At that time, you make them heroes, but if they don’t perform well in a couple of matches, you label them a villain,” Salahuddin said.