Salahuddin quits domestic scene amid scrutiny over son's rise

When young chinaman bowler Nuhayel Sandeed was selected for the Bangladesh Cricket Board's High Performance Unit, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

It was a similar story when he debuted in the Dhaka Premier League, the country's long-standing List A competition, and nothing changed when he began bowling in the national nets. The whispers trailed him everywhere. Though only 17, he was already being cast as someone riding on his father's influence rather than his own skill. And with his father, Mohammad Salahuddin, regarded as one of Bangladesh's most accomplished local coaches, those accusations were almost inevitable.

Salahuddin, currently serving as a senior assistant coach, has long been in demand in domestic cricket. He has won the Bangladesh Premier League, and he has three Dhaka Premier League titles, often described as the most demanding competition on the domestic circuit. He also has a Corporate League title to his name.

On Sunday, Salahuddin told Cricbuzz that he has made a difficult decision: he will no longer coach in domestic cricket because he does not want his presence to interfere with his son's journey.

"Yes, it's true. Because I've felt that my son is growing up, he has to play cricket. I think if I stay here, it will be a problem for him. Normally then people might say that his father is helping him, nepotism. So I don't want that. That's why I want that when he starts playing, he plays on his own merit because if I stay here, it might become an obstacle for his career," said Salahuddin.

He added that his son's name being dragged into conversations about favoritism has become a routine burden. "So for this reason I'm thinking that no, since he has grown up now, let him play, let him play on his merit, and at least he should be mentally free when he plays cricket," he said. "Yes that (people saying that he is getting privilege because of me) and I can't do anything about it and that's exactly why I think it's better for me to stay away from here for his sake.

"Especially since he is playing cricket now and he enjoys it, I shouldn't become any obstacle because at the end of the day, every father is a hero to his son. If he sees that his father is being criticized a lot, that people are talking about his father, or about him, then it can mentally disturb him a lot."

Salahuddin said that stepping away would allow his son to grow in a healthier environment. "So that's why I feel that when he plays at a good level, plays in a good team, I should stay away from here. Maybe I will just support him from outside. Rather than fear, I feel that these things affect the boys a lot. Ultimately, whether it's your child or my students, when criticism happens about me, it affects them mentally.

"Not just my son, I have hundreds of students, maybe two or three hundred students who love me, who think about me. When they hear anything negative, it affects them mentally as well. So that is exactly what I want: if I stay away from professional cricket, it will probably help them a lot. They will be able to play cricket properly. At the end of the day, the boys are the ones who will play. So their mental state should stay good, they should play good cricket, that's where my focus will be," he said.

He also insisted that the financial implications of stepping away do not bother him, and admitted he has not really coached Sandeed himself yet. "Normally I never think about money, Allah has given me a lot more than I deserved, and I feel that. Whatever He has given, Alhamdulillah. The rest of my life will go on just fine, without any problem. But more than money, my honour and dignity are more important to me," he said.

"I really haven't coached him yet. When I leave this, then maybe I will personally coach him. I feel that since I am here now, the other coaches are watching him, so let them handle it. But when I leave, then maybe I will start looking after him," he said.

According to Salahuddin, he still plans to work at academies, where he feels he can contribute more freely, even if he is done with professional coaching. "I feel that I won't do professional coaching, but I will work in academies, where I can work more freely. That I will do. But I won't do professional cricket. However, I will definitely work in academies to develop kids, to develop young boys. Because at the end of the day, I will say that my mental satisfaction is very important. If I don't have mental satisfaction, then I can't work there," he said.

He also reflected on the growing influence of one-to-one coaching, a trend he believes has a major future in Bangladesh. What convinced him was the remarkable transformation of Abhishek Sharma, a player he first saw up close during his time with Shakib Al Hasan at Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"Yes, I am realizing this (one-to-one coaching is the future) because I had seen Abhishek Sharma six years ago, when I went to Sunrisers Hyderabad with Shakib to supervise his practice. At that time, I saw him as an ordinary, normal batter. But six years later, when I saw him again, I was shocked by how well he bats now," said Salahuddin.

"Because he has always been doing one-to-one coaching with Yuvraj Singh and getting various kinds of facilities. His batting has transformed in such a way that I feel we should also come to this stage," he said. "We should also work this way and in that case individually many boys may become big cricketers. One-to-one coaching has already been established in India long ago. Ultimately in the future, this might happen for us as well."