Mohammad Salahuddin, the head coach of the Comilla Victorians, wants the local players to shine in the next Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 tournament, which will be contested in Australia later this year.
Bangladesh had a dismal performance in the T20 World Cup last year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), much to the dismay of the fans.
The foreign players, on the other hand, are the BPL’s main draw. In fact, franchise cricket is synonymous with a deluge of sixes and fours, but this is not the case in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh wicket, particularly the wicket at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, has proven to be a low-scoring ground in the last four BPL championships, preventing hitters from flourishing to their full potential.
The overseas players also found it more difficult to score runs on the surface.
However, Mohammad Salauddin, the coach of the Comilla Victorians, believes that it would be preferable if foreigners were unable to perform. It will be more positive for cricket in our country, he believes, if foreigners are shrouded in the shadows of local players.
Speaking to the media today, Salauddin said, “If foreign players can’t perform, it’s very good. If the local players perform, then it will be good for us. Since they are used to playing here, they should perform. The Comilla Victorians coach however no longer wants to comment on the wicket, either positively or negatively.”
“I don’t want to talk about wickets,” he said. “If it is 120 runs, it will play like 120 runs. If it is 180 runs, it will play like that. Since the game has started, there is no point in talking about wickets.”
