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Bangladesh is a fertile land—not just for rice fields and river deltas, but also for hype. Here, sporting narratives often blossom overnight, watered generously by fervent journalists and fanboys starved for local heroes. The latest crescendo rises around Salahuddin, a domestic coach whose name has been embroidered into public consciousness as if he were a messianic figure poised to rescue Bangladesh cricket from its perennial woes.
It all began when a leading local daily, Prothom Alo, spun a charming tale: Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s mercurial talisman, found his lost form while performing in a cricket “circus”—credit, they claimed, due to the guiding hand of Salahuddin. In a nation ravenous for feel-good stories, the suggestion was intoxicating. Soon, a chorus emerged clamoring for Salahuddin to replace Chandika Hathurusingha or any other foreign coach at the helm of the national side, wrapping the debate snugly in the ever-potent flag of patriotism.
But patriotic fervor, seductive as it is, often clouds the discerning eye. One must pause and ask: is Salahuddin truly equipped to shoulder the monumental responsibilities of coaching a national cricket team?
A Glance at the Résumé: The Legend vs. the Ledger
Strip away the rhapsodies and what remains is a profile that, while respectable, is hardly extraordinary by international standards.
Salahuddin cut his teeth as head coach at BKSP—Bangladesh’s foremost sporting academy—from 1999 to 2005, later serving as assistant to Dav Whatmore and Jamie Siddons. Both foreign coaches praised his diligence and commitment, especially during a stint when he helped remodel Abdur Razzak’s illegal bowling action. Subsequently, Salahuddin drifted into coaching roles in Malaysia, and later, took charge of Gazi Group Cricketers, guiding them to a Dhaka Premier League title in 2017.
More recently, he is noted for steering a “circus team”—an annual cricket extravaganza of questionable standard—to victory in 2015. It’s a modest portfolio, bolstered largely by domestic exploits and the endorsement of local press. One might rightly question: does triumph in a domestic league plagued by inconsistency, or in an informal circus tournament, serve as credible testimony to international coaching mettle?
The Halo Effect: Orchestrated Adulation
The machinery behind Salahuddin’s mythos deserves scrutiny. Insiders suggest he is a favored “news source” for Bangladesh’s sports journalists—a convenient fountain of scoops and stories. Meanwhile, his rapport with players often resembles that of an obliging butler: ever-ready to top up the glass but not necessarily to refine the vintage.
It is telling that many technical turnarounds in Bangladeshi cricketers—be it Razzak’s revamped action or the batting polish of top-order stalwarts—are rooted in interventions by foreign specialists. Yet the accolades are routinely, and perhaps unfairly, funneled toward Salahuddin, thanks to a well-oiled narrative machine that thrives on local sentiment.
Where are the global offers?
If Salahuddin were the generational coaching mastermind many proclaim him to be, why haven’t doors at prestigious cricketing boards swung open for him? Why does the global marketplace—where genuine expertise rarely goes unnoticed—remain conspicuously indifferent to his talents?
The cosmopolitan world of cricket coaching, after all, has seen mentors like Duncan Fletcher or Gary Kirsten seamlessly transcend borders, propelled by proven acumen. If Salahuddin’s capabilities were of such luminous quality, wouldn’t county teams, T20 franchises, or associate nations line up at his doorstep? The silence is damning.
Beyond Sentiment: The Real Cost of Misplaced Adulation
To helm a national cricket team is to juggle far more than tactics. It demands a symphony of technical erudition, psychological insight, and charismatic leadership—qualities essential to cultivate both stars and systems. The ideal coach is part strategist, part therapist, part general.
Does Salahuddin possess this multi-dimensional gravitas? Or are we witnessing a balloon inflated by nostalgia, convenience, and the ever-potent cocktail of nationalism?
Bangladesh must tread carefully. A nation that confuses emotion for evaluation risks sowing seeds of long-term mediocrity. The peril of elevating the wrong individual extends beyond immediate results; it ossifies systemic flaws, setting back player development and competitive culture by years.
The Final Question: Hype or Hope?
Perhaps it is time to peel back the layers of sentimentality and ask: are we lionizing Salahuddin for genuine merit or merely because he is ours?
In the globalized era of cricket, competence is a currency universally recognized. If Salahuddin’s stock remains curiously stagnant beyond Bangladesh’s borders, maybe the time has come for honest introspection. Before we surrender the future of our national team to a narrative spun by friendly journalists and social media zealots, let us ensure that the man entrusted with shaping our cricketing destiny truly stands on the bedrock of unmatched expertise—not the shifting sands of hype.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
