Saif Hassan’s straight-bat success

Saif Hassan's Journey to Success

Cricket News

Bangladesh opener Saif Hassan has been making waves in the cricket world with his impressive batting skills, particularly in the Asia Cup. His batting philosophy is simple – to play straight and take advantage of his ability to hit with spin.

Saif has been working on his skills, especially after being cast aside from the national team in 2021. He forced his way back with consistent domestic performances, shedding his "long-format player" tag. His strength has always been hitting down the V, which he has now translated to white-ball success as well.

Developing a New Dimension

Saif credits his time with Rangpur Riders in the Global Super League T20 for helping him grow into a more confident T20 batter. He also acknowledges the help of Mohammad Salahuddin at Masco Cricket Academy, where he works on his shortcomings and improves his skills.

"I am very thankful to Salahuddin Sir as he helped me a lot. Whenever I get time I go there, work on my shortcomings, and try to improve," Saif said.

Coach's Perspective

Salahuddin, now the senior assistant coach of the Bangladesh team, believes Saif has finally started to understand his own game. "He himself wanted to change. It's not that he didn't play well in domestic cricket – he always could. But because of the pattern in which he grew up, it seemed like he played slow, even though he had the shots," Salahuddin said.

He praises Saif's dedication to improvement: "Whenever you do extra practice, only then does the opportunity come to become extraordinary."