Injuries are a serious concern for fast bowlers. Due to their long run-ups, they frequently suffer from injuries. More importantly, once injured, a player often fails to deliver the expected performance for the team.
Therefore, fast bowlers should not be played in every match. Instead, they should be rested and selected based on the significance of each game. Cricketing powerhouses in modern cricket follow this strategy, which helps them achieve better results and stay ahead of others. But Bangladesh’s failure to adopt this approach has repeatedly cost them dearly—missing out on trophies in crucial matches like the Asia Cup and World Cup finals, and getting knocked out of tournaments due to the absence of key pacers.
Learning from the past, the team management is now becoming more strategic about choosing fast bowlers based on the importance of the match. National team assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin gave such an indication recently.
In a recent interview, the country’s popular coach Salahuddin said, “Many have returned from injury, and workload must also be considered. Keeping the pacers fit is crucial. With a tight schedule, it’s hard to play matches every day. From the outside, you might not realize this. Player safety must be taken into account too.”
The national team’s assistant coach further said, “It’s not possible for Taskin to play matches continuously, as he’s come back from a major injury. If he is made to play back-to-back matches, he might end up sitting out for a whole year due to injury. Everything needs to be managed carefully. That’s why I’d say—we always prioritize what’s best for the team.”
