Collapse curse continues under best minds

On November 6 last year, a day after Mohammad Salahuddin was appointed as Bangladesh's senior assistant coach, the team suffered a familiar collapse in the ODI series opener against Afghanistan in Sharjah.

Chasing 236, the Tigers collapsed from 120-3 to 143 all out, losing by 92 runs, as rookie spinner AM Ghazanfar tore through the lineup with a career-best 6-26.

Salahuddin, who was not with the team at the time, began his tenure in the following West Indies tour. But since his arrival, little has changed. Batting collapses have continued to haunt them across all formats.

Seven months on, the collapse repeated in eerily familiar fashion.

In Wednesday's ODI opener against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Bangladesh collapsed from 100 for two to 105 for eight -- the worst-ever fall from the second to eighth wicket in men's ODIs -- before losing by 77 runs, undone again by spin as Wanindu Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis shared seven wickets.

When Salahuddin was roped in to the coaching staff, it was seen as a breath of fresh air. Known for his rapport with players and ability to address technical and mental flaws, his appointment was seen as a long-awaited shift toward greater comfort and communication in the dressing room. But those expectations have yet to materialise.

In the West Indies, Bangladesh collapsed in both Tests and continued the trend in the white-ball games. The ICC Champions Trophy brought more of the same, as they stumbled to 35 for five against India before managing 228 which was insufficient to trouble the eventual champions.

The batting woes persisted on tours to the UAE, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and even in their home Test series against Zimbabwe.

Salahuddin's addition also completed a high-profile trio with chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu and cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim -- touted as the country's finest cricketing minds. Together, they were expected to change the trajectory of Bangladesh cricket.

So far, however, the cycle remains unbroken. Whether this think-tank can reverse the tide is still uncertain.

Time will tell, but it might run out faster than anticipated.