B’desh wont experiment in 2nd T20i, says Salahuddin as they prepare to face the Netherlands in Sylhet today.
As they get ready to play the Netherlands in the second match of the current three-match T20I series, which is set to begin on September 1 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin stated on Sunday that the team is not thinking about experimenting.
After victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh entered the series with a lot of confidence. They continued that momentum into the opening match against the Netherlands, winning by a commanding eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead.
It was anticipated that the hosts will want to test their bench strength because the series was viewed as a practice run for the forthcoming Asia Cup. But Salahuddin disregarded that.
“Look, at the end of the day, this is not really a place to experiment. This is international cricket. If it were a practice match, I might have had room to try things. But in international cricket, there’s no space for experimentation. I have to make the decisions required to win, and that’s exactly what I will try to do,” Salahuddin told reporters ahead of the second T20I.
“In our profession, there’s really no room for being satisfied. We can never be fully satisfied because you have to improve every single day. International cricket is very tough. Every moment brings new challenges – whether in how you play, how you think, or the situations you face. So there’s nothing here to feel satisfied about,” he added.
Salahuddin credited the extended preparation period before the series – a rare luxury – for helping the coaching staff focus on development.
“Since we had a longer preparation period this time, it gave us a proper opportunity to focus on all aspects – fitness, fielding, batting. Normally, during international matches, there isn’t much of a gap, so players don’t really get the chance to develop their personal skills. This time, we had that opportunity, which is a positive for us,” he said.
“At the end of the day, what matters is how the players develop into bigger cricketers. Even if we fill the dressing room with coaching staff, it doesn’t guarantee results. What truly matters is how the players perform, how they improve, and how they think. And I see a lot of change in that area. In the future, Insha’Allah, there will be even more,” he said.