Salahuddin eyes medal despite pressure

The Tigers had a feeling they would have to battle the rain in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and the weather has already disrupted their Asian Games preparations. Persistent rain prevented Bangladesh from training after their arrival, though Litton Das’s team managed a brief practice session on Sunday ahead of their quarter-final against Malaysia on 29 September.

Expectations are high on the Bangladesh men’s team at the Asian Games as they look to reclaim the gold medal they won at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, 16 years ago. Although Bangladesh have the advantage of avoiding India before the final, head coach Mohammad Salahuddin is taking Malaysia seriously in the quarter-final.

Malaysia are coached by Dave Whatmore, who once had Salahuddin as his assistant during his time with the Bangladesh team. Bangladesh also narrowly beat Malaysia by just two runs at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Salahuddin therefore wants his side to give their opponents the respect they deserve.

“I know about the previous match. I have also worked in Malaysia. They came to Bangladesh some time ago as well. Maybe two or three more players have joined that team. We have taken Malaysia seriously,” he said.

Although the national team have not played Malaysia recently, the High Performance (HP) and Under-23 sides faced them last month. The HP team whitewashed Malaysia in a three-match T20I series at home. However, Salahuddin does not want his side to rely on that result, stressing the importance of the opening match.

“We want to play Malaysia first. I think our first match is very important. The first match of any tournament is important. Playing a match directly after five or seven days without one can be difficult. The first match is much more important for us. We will see how we play there and then think about the next one.”

The Bangladesh side that won gold in Guangzhou in 2010 was largely made up of national team backup players. Led by Mohammad Ashraful, that team secured Bangladesh’s only Asian Games cricket gold medal. In 2014, Bangladesh sent a full-strength side to Incheon but returned with bronze.

This time, with no international cricket commitments, the Bangladesh Cricket Board have sent a full-strength T20 side. As a result, expectations are also higher. Salahuddin sees the pressure as a natural part of the job.

“You have to take this kind of pressure in this profession. Everyone is used to taking it. A medal is very important for Bangladesh.”

The women’s cricket matches at the Aichi-Nagoya Games were also held at the same venue. As the tournament has progressed, the wicket has become slightly slower, making the toss another important factor, according to Salahuddin.

“We are playing on the same wicket. It could be a little slow. So, the toss could be an important factor here.”