Prime Bank coach Salahuddin lashes out at unfit players

Prime Bank Cricket Club coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who is well known for mentoring top cricketers like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim today questioned players commitment, particularly due to their poor fitness.

He said from what he has seen in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League (DPL) that most of the players lacked fitness to play smoothly for the full season.

"Sometimes it seems like we are paying the players more than what they deserve? Is there any rationale behind that? Most of the players in my team are unfit," Salahuddin said here today.

"Their fitness level is to play for just three or four matches, not for whole season. We were the worst fielding side in the whole tournament," he added.

Salahuddin's Prime Bank, however, moved to the Super League but they are in fourth place with 12 points, six points behind the table topper Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. It means hardly they have the chance to clinch the championship title unless Jamal and the second placed Abahani Limited loss most of their Super League matches.

So, before entering the Super League, Salauddin warned his players, "I have given the message to my team. If you want to play next year, you have to maintain good fitness. Otherwise there is no chance to play. Players need to work on their fitness before the start of the season. It's hard to work out fitness after the start of the season. Hopefully they will get the fitness right before next season. Then it will be good for themselves and it will be good for the team."

He also emphasized on to be dedicated wholeheartedly for the team for a collective result.
 
"I think it's important to have dedication to the team," he said. "No matter how good a team is, It is difficult to get good results if team spirit does not come from within the players. You have to have empathy for the team. At least if you play with compassion, then if the team loses then you will have emotional relief. I did not get that relief this time."

Abahani will play their first match of the Super League against Abahani Limited who beat them in the group phase.

"We have a tough match with against Abahani and that too at the Mirpur Stadium where Abahani played more matches than us. This ground is like a home venue for them. They will get a little more benefit. Even then, we hope we won't make the same mistakes that we did in the last match. "

Tamim Iqbal was supposed to play for the Prime Bank this time. But after the tour of South Africa, the Bangladesh ODI captain went to London for personal affair. The Prime Bank coach, however, doesn't know as of now that when he
will return.