Sports Desk:

Bangladesh renowned coach Mohammad Salahuddin has been in the spotlight since Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed announced that he is looking for a replacement of national head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. During an exclusive interview with, the prominent Bangladeshi coach spoke about his plan as far as taking responsibility for the national team is concerned. Here are the excerpts:

In the recent past you turned out to be a topic of discussion as there is high-scale speculation that suggests you are expected to replace the national head coach in the coming days? How are you seeing this?

I think the public wants this. Maybe a lot of people are thinking that if I become the coach, something better will happen. But I think Bangladesh team is playing well, under Chandika Hathurusingha. They won two Tests against Pakistan in their home ground and it is not an easy task. Everyone has contributed towards it and our local coaches have worked really well. And you can understand that the team’s atmosphere was good. That’s why the boys have performed well. Teams’ strength has increased. I think this team is in good shape. And if they can continue this then we can become a good Test team. So, I think that chance should be given, for the benefit of the country and I think it will be good for the nation. If I come suddenly become the coach, I might have to change a lot of things which will be very difficult for me. I don’t think it will be right that a new coach comes in and changes a good team. So, I personally feel that I have to make preparations. If I want to take up this responsibility, I have to update myself as well, because I feel, that if I fail or I can’t do it well, then in the next 10/12 years no Bangladeshi coach will be able to come here (as national head coach).

So, I have responsibilities on my own shoulders. That’s why it is really important to prepare myself because, for the past few years, I have not been following the Bangladesh cricket team that much. Sometimes I watch the games, but when I take up a responsibility then I have to study for that, and I will have to take mental preparation that how I can do well at that level. So, I have to be ready for everything. So that when I accept it, I can do it better than the previous ones. It’s not like I will come and just take it, I am not that kind of a person. It will be better for all if I come here fully prepared.

So, you are not ready to take this responsibility?

I think if I come after taking better preparation then it will be good for everyone and I also do not want to fail. If I can’t do it properly and ten other coaches suffer because of that, it won’t be right. So, I want to take this responsibility after I prepare myself. And the biggest thing is I am affiliated with two/three other organizations so I can’t come just like that. I have some commitments with them. And If I get some time before coming then it will be good for everyone. Emotional decisions never bear good results, so there is no importance of emotion to me, you have to be practical. And take a decision which will be good for all and everyone should think according to that.

The last two coaches Domingo (Russell) and Steve (Rhodes) couldn’t complete their contract, do you think that a coach not being able to complete his time gives away a negative image?

If you notice, in Bangladesh coaches are not completing their full term and coaches do not want to come to this country. And it does not give away a good image if you swap coaches over and over again. Even if I come, then I might also feel insecure thinking that I might lose my job after six months.

When you work under a coach for a long time then that coach actually knows it all – which player need what, which method will be applicable for whom, and what he needs to do to perform well. So, it’s better for the coach if you give him this opportunity and as there aren’t many days left, I think it will be better if that happens (Hathurusingha leaves after serving his full term).

If any coach replaces Hathurusingha at this moment in that case he will be having a lot of pressure as far as expectations are concerned.  If the new coach comes after the Champions Trophy, then his target will be the next World Cup, and he will move forward with a target of two years. What do you think about it?

Whoever becomes the next coach if he comes and fails then everyone will say that Hathurusingha was better. I think as the team is doing good results, so some time should be given to him (Hathurusingha) and I think it will be better for Bangladesh if he serves his full tenure.  And the series ahead are also very important series, and in between these series if someone new comes then he won’t be able to do much, practically speaking.

What preparation are you talking about?

Whatever I do I have to come after taking the preparation, If I come without preparation then I will be lucky if there is a good result considering if it happens, it happens. You can’t do coaching like that.

If I am told that I will be taking the responsibility of the team after six months then I will start my preparation from that day. Before I didn’t use it to keep information about what is happening in NCL, but this year I will try to see how they are playing NCL. Because everyone wishes for it, if someone says I don’t wish for it then he will be lying, everyone has that wish. I do not want to lose and I don’t want to lose ever, and I think that whoever comes to Bangladesh will be representing Bangladesh, and if he fails, then it will be a big blockade for our coaches in the future if any local coach comes and fails. At least I have to have an Idea about 50 top-class players, because the game is of three formats. So, if I know about only five players then it will be very difficult for me. Maybe these 50 players will be rotated and played, amongst them who have what problems, who is good in where, who has what type of mentality when I will be able to know all of these, then it will be easier for me to work.

Maybe I am not working with the board for many days, I don’t work at the HP or Bangla Tigers, who are close here at least they have a good idea about these 40 players. I do not have that idea. Maybe I know those who are in top class or who plays in BPL for my team or Dhaka League, I have very good idea about them or I have a good idea about the players who have been here for a long, the veteran players Shakib, Tamim etc. But I do not have any clear idea about the next generation players, what he wants, how he plays cricket, how his mentality is, how he is at home and as a local coach this is the advantage that I have the opportunity to know important things about everyone. Those who are connected with the board, if they are given the opportunity, I think they can give a good result because they are working very closely, they have an idea about everything, which is missing in me because of the long gap. But when they tell me that I will take it up after six months then I will already start to do my work that what work I need to do, and how to develop and then I will do everything systematically, and I can develop myself that way. So, I think some thought should be put into this and it is not ideal to take any decision hastily. I always say one should not make any decision being hot-headed, it is really important to take decisions with a calm and stable mind for everyone.

And will you ask for at least two years whenever the time comes?

Definitely, I believe a thing that a good coach can improve a team only by 10% but a bad coach can destroy a team by 50%. So, no matter how good I am, at max I can develop is 10%, I won’t be able to develop by 50%. And I believe this. At least they should be able to develop and do better in the next table, and I will work on keeping these in mind. If I come and make it worse by 50% then it will be bad for the country and for everyone and my career will also be tarnished. So, thinking about everything, I think for the betterment one should come after taking preparation. If I can leave a mark behind or if I can grow myself like that then it will be really good for us. That is why I think that one should always think practically.