'Not everyone can be like Mustafizur': Salahuddin praises Fizz’s mental strength

Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin said star pacer Mustafizur Rahman has remained remarkably unfazed by the developments that followed his release from Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders -- a chain of events that ultimately led Bangladesh to decide against playing their ICC T20 World Cup matches in India. 

The decision saw the International Cricket Council (ICC) replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7. In the aftermath, Bangladesh arranged a domestic tournament -- Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup 2026 -- to mitigate the impact of missing out on the global event. 

Asked whether the recent developments had affected Mustafizur, Salahuddin, who is the head coach of Dhumketu XI –- one of the three teams competing in the tournament -- revealed that the pacer remains unconcerned. 

“I asked Mustafiz myself, ‘What are you actually feeling?’ and he replied, ‘Let it go.’ He meant that whatever is gone is gone,” Salahuddin said at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. 

“I don’t think everyone can be like Mustafizur, but adopting this mindset would actually be best for any player. You shouldn’t try to control things that are beyond your control. Whether you want to be a great player or succeed in any job, if you consume yourself with frustration over things like promotions, you fail to understand your current situation,” he added.

Salahuddin said this was a lesson he had personally learned from Mustafizur.

“There is something valuable to learn from him about handling the loss of a large amount of money or whatever else it may be. He could have suffered from depression, but he understands that it wasn’t in his hands,” he said.

Meanwhile, Salahuddin confirmed that ace pacer Taskin Ahmed will not feature in the tournament starting tomorrow.

“The doctors will be able to say more, but I’ve been informed that he is not playing,” Salahuddin said. 

Team management sources said Mukidul Islam Mugdho has replaced Taskin in the squad. Taskin also posted on social media that he is suffering from a sinus infection and will be unable to take part in the tournament.