Bangladesh’s senior assistant coach, Mohammad Salahuddin, has emphasized the team’s dedication to enhancing the skills of their batters during the current batting camp in Mirpur. Head coach Phil Simmons is overseeing the week-long camp organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), where numerous T20 batters are honing their abilities.
On the inaugural day, openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon were closely mentored by Simmons, along with Salahuddin and Mohammad Ashraful. Other batters, not participating in the final round of the National Cricket League, are expected to join the camp soon.
Ashraful, who recently served as the specialized batting coach during Bangladesh’s series against Ireland, is anticipated to continue in that role at least until the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka.
Salahuddin highlighted, “There is always room for improvement. Often, due to the rigorous international schedule, players do not have sufficient time to work on their skills. This camp provides an opportunity for batters to enhance their abilities, particularly focusing on the demands of T20 cricket. We aim to work on strategies to find gaps, utilize pace, score boundaries with less risk, and improve singles.”
“We will dedicate our time to these aspects to prepare the players for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the upcoming World Cup,” he emphasized.
While acknowledging recent successes in Tests and T20 internationals, Salahuddin acknowledged that Bangladesh still has room to grow in the one-day format based on this year’s performances. He expressed optimism for improvement next year, with a significant number of ODI fixtures scheduled.
Bangladesh played six Tests, 11 ODIs, and 30 T20Is this year, achieving victories in three Tests and 15 T20Is but facing challenges in the 50-over format with only three wins and eight losses.
“We are making progress in T20 cricket, but there is more work to be done. Our success in T20s has been a result of consistent series and adherence to a World Cup strategy,” Salahuddin noted.
He added, “While the Test team is in a good position with experienced batters, our one-day performance has been lacking due to limited matches and the transition of key players. However, with upcoming ODIs next year, we aim to bridge those gaps by giving new players the necessary experience to excel in the one-day format.”
Salahuddin concluded optimistically about the team’s continuous improvement across formats and expressed confidence in their potential for future success.