Sports  Desk:

Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin said that he is impressed with the way impressed with the way boys responded despite missing several key senior players due to injury and made the mental shift to earn success against West Indies in the three-match T20Is.

Bangladesh had drawn in the two-match but was cleanly swept away in the three-match ODI series. However, the tourists made a complete turnaround in the T20Is as they whitewashed in the three-match series of the shorter-format game.

“We were missing several senior players due to injuries. The mental toughness of the boys proved that they can deliver. The entire series was played very well by them. Perhaps in the first innings of the Test and the second ODI, we didn’t perform up to the mark. Other than that, we dominated most of the days on this tour. From that perspective, I’m happy. Especially, I would highlight the improvement in the boys’ mental side. They’ve started making their own decisions and thinking more about themselves, realizing that they are capable. This mental shift will benefit them in the future,” said Salahuddin.

“I didn’t really do anything here. The head coach deserves significant credit. I’ve noticed he gives a lot of freedom to the players and other coaches. He takes our input, even the players’ opinions. The boys are now involved in decision-making and have upgraded their mental side. I believe there was a good team environment, which helped them learn to make their own decisions. I think the full credit goes to the players. They wanted to change and improve. We may have given them freedom, but in international cricket, pressure is always there. They’ve managed to handle that well,” said.

“Since I’m local, perhaps they deserve a bit more affection from me. When the boys are not performing well, it’s essential to stand by them more. I believe that’s crucial. When someone performs well, everyone supports them anyway,” he added.

Salahuddin added that there are no technical issues with out-of-form Litton Kumar Das and he is expecting to shine sooner than later despite he managed to score 2, 4 and 8 respectively in the three ODIs while scored 0, 4 and 14 in the following three T20Is.

“Any batsman can go through a bad patch. There’s no technical issue with Litton. I think he’ll come out of this phase very soon. He’s one of Bangladesh’s finest batsmen. I don’t think there’s much to worry about,” Salahuddin told reporters before leaving for Bangladesh after cleanly sweeping away the West Indies in the three-match T20Is.

“Nobody needs to worry too much about his batting. When someone doesn’t score, they feel worse about it than anyone else. If he stays mentally relaxed, he’ll perform well soon,” he said adding that he is impressed with his captaincy.

“As for his captaincy, it’s truly remarkable. I think I was the first to give him the captaincy last year at Comilla Victorians, and I faced a lot of criticism for it. But I make decisions after careful thought. His mindset and understanding of the game made me feel he was captain material,” said Salahuddin.

“During a match, he’s 3-4 overs ahead of the game. A great captain is someone who stays ahead, understanding what’s happening. That’s one of his best qualities. We’ve seen him win two matches with low scores,” he said which suggests BCB can think of him on a long-term basis in the shorter format as he is ready to take up the challenge if offered by the board.

Salahuddin said that he is expecting Jaker Ali, who seems to riding on a high, to go a long way due to his maturity as he worked with him from a very early stage.

“Speaking of Jaker, I’ve known him for a long time. He’s very sensible and has developed in that way. He’s accustomed to playing in various leagues and knows how to adapt to any role,” said Salahuddin.

“He (Jaker) knows what to do and when to do it. I hope this maturity will develop in others as well,” he concluded.