Bangladesh's Preparation Issues Ahead of Champions Trophy: Mohammad Salahuddin

Ahead of the Champions Trophy, the Bangladesh cricket team had very little time for preparation. While other teams had the opportunity to play series in the One-Day format as part of their buildup to the tournament, Bangladesh's focus was primarily on the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). As a result, Bangladesh’s preparation was considered insufficient by senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin.

In an interview with the media, Salahuddin expressed, "At least five teams came into this tournament after proper preparation. But we could not prepare in that manner. We came after playing the BPL, and that was our reality. The board and the players need to seriously consider this issue. Success doesn’t come overnight."

He further elaborated on the preparation gap, saying, "Our preparation wasn’t ideal. However, I don’t want to use it as an excuse. The format changes quickly, and you need to adapt to the changes swiftly. We couldn’t adapt in time."

Acknowledging Bangladesh's struggles in ICC's big events, Salahuddin remarked, "If we didn’t have the ability, we wouldn’t be playing in the Champions Trophy. The top eight teams in the world have come here. West Indies and Sri Lanka didn’t make it. If you say you’re here to participate, then you should be prepared to compete. Since we are here, we should have a dream of what we want to achieve. I believe we have the ability to perform, but we couldn’t show it. We haven’t been able to perform in any ICC major event, and we have to accept that."

Both Bangladesh and Pakistan were eliminated from the Champions Trophy. Regarding the upcoming dead-rubber match, the coach stated, "In this tournament, Pakistan also hasn’t performed according to their ability. We haven’t performed either. However, no one wants to play cricket lightly. Both teams are good. Both teams will try their best to finish the tournament on a high note."