Former Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has set his sights on developing a world class rehabilitation centre for injured cricketers after choosing to work with the country's High Performance (HP) programme instead of continuing with the national team.
Salahuddin's tenure as senior assistant coach officially ended following Bangladesh's Test series against Pakistan. He bid farewell to the coaching staff in the dressing room after the team's victory.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Salahuddin said Tamim Iqbal, president of the ad-hoc committee of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had offered him two options - stay with the national side or help bolster Bangladesh's cricket pipeline.
"After discussions, I chose the second one," Salahuddin said.
The veteran coach said the HP programme would initially continue under its current structure but would gradually be transformed into a full-fledged cricket academy aimed at long-term player development.
A major focus of the initiative will be improving injury recovery systems, particularly for pace bowlers.
"It takes a long time for our pacers to recover after injuries. I want to create a world class rehab centre. If we can implement it properly, this problem can be solved," he said.
Despite leaving the national team environment, Salahuddin said he would remain closely connected to Bangladesh cricket.
"I am not leaving the stadium. The players will be here and I will also be around," he said. "Maybe I will miss the dressing-room atmosphere because those moments were special." �"BSS
