National team’s assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has said that they are also working on improving the players’ mindset and sense of responsibility.
During a net session on Saturday, Tanzid Hasan square cut a good-length delivery pitched outside off stump. When a similar delivery came again, the left-handed opener went for a scoop shot instead. Due to BCB’s time restrictions, media didn’t get to see much of Tanzid’s batting that day. However, on Sunday, national team’s senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin shared that the batters are currently focusing on practicing shots suited for T20 cricket.
Less than a week after the end of the Test series against Zimbabwe, the Bangladesh cricketers were back to their routines with bat and ball, beginning preparations on Monday for the upcoming UAE tour. Players like Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar resumed training as part of the early build-up.
This phase of preparation is being kept mostly closed off by the BCB. Journalists are allowed to observe just 15 minutes of training each day, making it difficult to get a full picture of what the players are working on.
Naturally, the first question at Sunday’s pre-training press briefing in Mirpur was about what’s being worked on in these sessions. In response, Salahuddin said the team is practicing specific shots for the T20 format.
“We don’t usually get much time to work on the players’ skill development,” he said. “There are so many series one after another, so we rarely get a chance to focus on improving skills. This time we got a little break, so we’ve arranged some skill-based training sessions. At the same time, we’re putting a lot of emphasis on maintaining their fitness levels.”
“We’re also working to enhance their skillsets. In T20s, there are certain shots that we may not be able to execute well due to lack of preparation or practice time. We’re trying to focus on the types of shots that will be effective on the kinds of pitches we’ll be playing on.”
Before joining the national setup, Salahuddin had often voiced concerns about the mindset of local batters. During the BPL, he even questioned the decision-making of some players, despite their experience.
He still sees the same problem persisting and is now aiming for quick improvement in that area.
“If we’re talking about drills, you can sit here and come up with a hundred of them. That’s not the issue. Cricket is played in the mind. The question is: are we thinking logically on the field? I don’t think we play cricket without logic, but fixing this part isn’t easy. Everyone has similar skills and techniques; the real issue lies in the mind.”
“Improving that isn’t as simple as saying it and getting it done. There are cultural aspects to it too. We’ve started working on these things now. We have to act quickly. We’re trying to put the responsibility on the players themselves—so that they learn faster.”
Salahuddin also mentioned a new coaching approach designed to help players take more responsibility.
“We’ve come up with a plan where players coach each other. The idea is that they’ll start thinking about the game themselves. We’re trying to shift the culture a bit. If that happens, they’ll learn on their own, become more responsible, and solve their own problems. That way, we can move forward more quickly.”
