Staff Reporter | PNN
Khaled Mahmud Sujon has a long-standing association with the Bangladesh national cricket team. Although the former captain has taken charge of the national side as an interim coach on several occasions, he has never had the opportunity to work as the permanent head coach for a specific term.
At a time when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is placing greater importance on local coaches within its coaching structure, Sujon is still not part of that particular plan. However, he remains ready to take charge of the national team if the board offers him the opportunity in the future.
Speaking to the media recently about the possibility of becoming the national team's head coach, Sujon made his position clear. He said that if the board considers him qualified and offers him the responsibility, he would not hesitate to accept it.
Sujon said coaching is his main profession. Therefore, if the BCB has confidence in his ability and gives him responsibility for the national team, he would be prepared to take on the role.
Sujon is currently working as a consultant in the BCB's Game Development Department. For now, he wants to focus on his new responsibility. The former cricketer also expressed his gratitude to the board for considering him suitable for the role.
He said he would try to contribute as much as possible by using his experience in game development. He also mentioned that he already had previous experience working with the department's chairman, Fahim.
Meanwhile, there has been discussion on social media that Sujon does not have a good relationship with Mohammad Salahuddin. Sujon completely rejected the claim, saying there is no conflict between them.
According to Sujon, he and Salahuddin have known each other since childhood and their relationship has remained good since the days when they played cricket together.
Sujon said that although both of them later entered the coaching profession, their personal relationship did not deteriorate. They regularly communicate and speak over the phone. Therefore, he considers reports of a dispute between them to be baseless.
Praising Salahuddin's coaching ability, Sujon said his colleague has matured considerably as a coach over time and is now working on a larger scale.
At different times, the two have competed against each other as coaches of different teams. On some occasions one of their teams won a championship, while on other occasions the other's team emerged victorious. However, Sujon said there was no reason to connect such on-field competition with their personal relationship.
Instead, Sujon said he feels happy when Salahuddin performs well.
His comments make it clear that although he does not currently have an opportunity to coach the national team, he remains prepared to take responsibility if the BCB decides to appoint him in the future.
