Asian Games accommodation not an issue, says cricket coach Salahuddin

Accommodation will not be a concern for Bangladesh at the upcoming Asian Games cricket event in Japan, according to men’s team head coach Mohammad Salahuddin, despite concerns raised over the facilities by India.

“I don’t think accommodation is a big factor. We are going there to represent our country and play good cricket, and the games are our main focus,” Salahuddin told the media on Monday.

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“Challenges will be there, but when we travel elsewhere, we often get good facilities but don’t get the results. So accommodation is not a big issue. What’s important is that we are going there to represent our country.”

The fourth edition of cricket at the Asian Games will see Bangladesh enter the men’s competition from the quarterfinal stage on September 28, alongside India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Bangladesh won the men’s gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, their best result in the competition, and Salahuddin has set his sights on another title.

“We are hoping that we will do well and we aren’t thinking of anything else aside from being champions. I am hoping that the girls’ and boys’ teams will do well,” he said.

Former BCB curator Gamini de Silva will serve as the main curator for the cricket event. Salahuddin admitted there was still some uncertainty over the playing conditions but said the women’s competition, which begins on September 17, would provide an early indication.

“I have no idea what the wickets are going to be like, but I do know who will be preparing them,” he said. “We will get an idea from the women’s side.”