Bangladesh Suspends Head Coach for Player Assault

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusingha due to a sundry of disciplinary issue complaints.

The Sri Lankan’s suspension follows mounting allegations of misconduct, including a reported physical altercation with his own player and repeated absences from training sessions, which violated his contractual obligations.

Chandika Hathurusingha has coached Bangladesh since February 2023 in his second stint with the team. He will be suspended for 48 hours, after which his contract will be terminated. The BCB has also issued a show-cause notice to the 53-year-old.

Meanwhile, BCB wasted no time in handing the reins of the international team to former West Indies coach Phil Simmons will step in an interim capacity, a position he is set to hold until the 2025 Champions Trophy, set for February.

BCB president Faruque Ahmed addressed the media, explaining, “Hathurusingha’s misconduct on two counts has led to this decision. His actions fall short of the standards we expect from our coaching staff.”

Hathurusingha recently led Bangladesh to a historic 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan earlier this year but his tenure had been under scrutiny due to the team’s underwhelming performances in key tournaments.

Bangladesh’s failure to make a mark in last year’s ODI World Cup and the recent T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the Caribbean and the USA, had fueled criticism of Hathurusingha’s leadership.

Calls for his dismal intensified after Bangladesh’s poor tour of India, where the team was trounced 2-0 in the Test series and 3-0 in the T20Is.

While Chandika Hathurusingha looks for a new gig, Simmons will be hoping to have his side ready for the upcoming visit of the Proteas for a two-test match series beginning November 21.