Gold on His Mind: Salahuddin

Bangladesh men’s Asian Games head coach Mohammad Salahuddin has set his sights firmly on reclaiming the cricket gold medal when the team competes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan later this month.

Led by captain Litton Das, Bangladesh will depart for Aichi-Nagoya on 25 September, with Salahuddin making it clear that the team’s ultimate goal is to win the title.

“An entire country is looking towards us and wants us to do well. We have no option but to become champions. We hope both the men’s and women’s teams will perform well and return with a good result,” Salahuddin said at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium on Monday.

Expectations have risen further after Bangladesh opted to send a full-strength squad. Salahuddin believes the decision gives the Tigers a strong chance of making the final.

“When we saw other countries sending their full national teams, why wouldn’t we? Considering the schedule, I think we have a very good opportunity to reach the final,” he said.

Bangladesh will enter unfamiliar territory at the Aichi-Nagoya cricket venue. However, Sri Lankan pitch curator Gamini Silva, who has worked extensively on pitches and outfields in Bangladesh, is involved in preparing the venue.

Salahuddin, however, said it would be premature to predict how the wicket would behave before seeing it in person.

“Weather conditions vary from country to country. Ultimately, the nature of the wicket will depend on the weather there,” he said.

Cricket remains the only sport to have brought Bangladesh an Asian Games gold medal. Mohammad Ashraful’s team created history by winning the men’s title at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, while Bangladesh later claimed bronze in 2014 and 2022.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced a strong squad on 2 September, naming Litton Das captain and Towhid Hridoy vice-captain.

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the Asian Games quarter-finals. The Tigers will take on the winners of Group B in the last eight on 29 September, with Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman competing for the group’s qualifying spot.

A potential semi-final against Pakistan could await Bangladesh if both sides progress, making the Tigers’ path to the final a challenging one.