As the countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 gathers pace, Bangladesh’s assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has made it clear that the Tigers will not be making any last-minute experiments with their playing XI. With the tournament opener against Hong Kong set for September 11, Salahuddin stressed that international cricket demands full seriousness and commitment, not trial and error.
Speaking to the media ahead of Bangladesh’s second T20I against the Netherlands, Salahuddin was firm in his stance:
“This is not really a place to experiment. This is international cricket. If it were a practice match, maybe we could try things, but here we have to make decisions to win — and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
Focus on Consolidation, Not Chopping and Changing
Salahuddin underlined that the focus remains on building stability and consistency. He noted that in international cricket, there is never room for complacency, and the squad’s goal is continuous improvement in all areas — batting, bowling, fitness, and mindset.
The coach credited the rare extended preparation period ahead of the series, which allowed players to polish individual skills, something often missing in the hectic international calendar.
Praise for Saif Hassan’s Comeback
The assistant coach also lauded Saif Hassan, who returned to international cricket after a two-year gap and impressed with his character and temperament.
“He was once seen only as a Test player, but he’s shown that he can adapt to white-ball cricket as well. It’s not easy to bounce back mentally after failures, but he has worked on himself and is showing the right mentality,” Salahuddin said.
Group B Challenges Await
Bangladesh find themselves in a tricky Group B alongside Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. Their campaign kicks off against Hong Kong on September 11, followed by clashes against Sri Lanka (September 13) and Afghanistan (September 16).
With the assistant coach ruling out any experiments, Bangladesh are expected to field their strongest XI from the outset, signaling intent to make a deep run in the tournament.
