Salahuddin Takes Over as Bangladesh Batting Coach: What It Means

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BCB names Mohammad Salahuddin interim batting coach as Mohammad Ashraful is reassigned before the West Indies Test series. Here's what it means for Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has made a change at the top of its batting coaching setup. Mohammad Salahuddin, who heads the High Performance Unit, is now the interim batting coach for the men's national team. He steps in for Mohammad Ashraful, who's been reassigned just before the two-Test series against West Indies. ### Why the Change Happened The BCB announced the move in a media release, saying Ashraful will take on a new role within the board. They didn't give details about that position. Salahuddin will hold the batting coach job until a permanent replacement is named. Ashraful only started as batting coach in November 2025. Salahuddin had been assistant coach and handled the batting unit before that, so he's familiar with the role. According to reports, BCB cricket operations told Ashraful about the change, and he left the national players' WhatsApp group on Saturday with a thank-you message. Ashraful confirmed he's no longer with the team and is waiting for his next assignment. He was at a training session with the squad at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium earlier that day. The board is reportedly talking to some foreign batting coaches for the permanent post. ### Bangladesh's Record Under Ashraful During Ashraful's time as batting coach, Bangladesh won five of eight Tests, drew one, and lost two. They swept Ireland 2-0 in Tests and beat Pakistan by the same margin in May. In that series, Mushfiqur Rahim scored 253 runs, including a national-record 14th Test hundred, and was named player of the series. In white-ball cricket, Bangladesh beat Pakistan 2-1 in an ODI series in March and won an ODI series against Australia 2-1 in June—their first such series win over Australia. Australia took the T20I series 3-0 in the same month. The two teams drew the Test series 1-1 in August. Bangladesh won in Darwin and then lost in Mackay within two days after being bowled out for 64. Between November 2025 and October 2026, Bangladesh scored 11 centuries in 34 internationals. But the batting group struggled in recent tournaments, with poor shows at the Asian Games in Japan and the tri-nation series in Abu Dhabi. They also lost the final of the UAE ODI tri-series to Afghanistan. ### Ashraful's Career and What's Next for Bangladesh Ashraful played 61 Tests, 177 ODIs, and 23 T20Is for Bangladesh. He scored 3,468 runs in ODIs, the fifth-highest for his country. He became the youngest player to score a Test hundred, and at 20 he captained Bangladesh to a win over Australia in 2005. The BCB banned him from all board-related cricket activity in 2013 for match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League. He returned three years later and moved into coaching. He stayed active in domestic cricket until about two years ago. Salahuddin will first work with the batters in the opening Test against West Indies, starting October 28 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Fast bowler Nahid Rana will miss the series with a labrum tear, adding another selection headache for the home side. The BCB hasn't set a date for naming a permanent batting coach. > "It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it," a BCB official said, summing up the interim appointment. For more cricket news and updates, keep an eye on our blog.

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