BCB issues show-cause notice and suspends Hathurusingha

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has issued a show-cause notice and suspended the Sri Lankan coach, Chandika Hathurusingha.

The reason for his suspension is more due to disciplinary issues than performance. A key incident involves left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, with Hathurusingha accused of inappropriate behavior. During the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India, Hathurusingha was accused of slapping Nasum.

West Indies' Phil Simmons has been appointed as the interim coach of the national team. He has previously coached the national teams of West Indies, Ireland, and Afghanistan, along with several domestic leagues.

Even if the decision had come earlier, it wouldn't have been surprising.

In fact, there had already been signs that Chandika Hathurusingha could lose his job as the head coach of the Bangladesh team. Before he was appointed, Faruque Ahmed had stated that if he became the BCB president, he didn't see any reason to retain Hathurusingha as head coach.

After being elected as the BCB president, he reiterated his stance. Finally, Faruque made the announcement today, marking another chapter of Hathurusingha's departure from Bangladesh cricket.

To make the announcement, the BCB hurriedly called a press conference on Tuesday. At around 1 PM, the BCB's media group was informed that the BCB president would speak at the press conference room of the Mirpur Stadium at 3:30 PM. As in most previous press conferences, the BCB officials did not appear at the scheduled time today either. Forty minutes later, the press conference began, where the BCB president announced that Hathurusingha had been given a show-cause notice and suspended for 48 hours. Afterward, the process of his dismissal will commence. Although his contract was until February next year, he is set to lose his job early.

After investigating the matter, the BCB found the allegations against the Sri Lankan coach to be true. Faruque stated, "There were a few incidents that, as a former cricketer, were painful for me. Considering everything, we have issued a show-cause notice and suspended him from his role as coach. After 48 hours, we will proceed with his dismissal. The harassment of a cricketer was one of the reasons. Additionally, taking leave without permission is another issue."

Hathurusingha served as the national team's head coach during his first stint from 2014 to 2017. He unexpectedly resigned three years later. His resignation was abrupt, as he sent in his resignation letter while Bangladesh was on tour in South Africa and subsequently took charge of the Sri Lanka team. Although Hathurusingha's manner of departure was not well received, the BCB did not hold a grudge. In January 2023, the board reappointed him as the head coach.

Hathurusingha's first stint was a successful one. Under his guidance, Bangladesh won ODI series for the first time against teams like Pakistan, India, and South Africa. The team, in excellent form, reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, marking their first experience at that stage. In 2017, Bangladesh made it to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy under his watch. It was during his tenure that Bangladesh secured their first Test victories against England, Australia, and Sri Lanka.

In his first tenure, Hathurusingha led Bangladesh to 6 wins in 21 Test matches. They lost 11 and drew 4 matches. Out of 51 ODIs, Bangladesh won 25 and lost 23. In T20Is, Bangladesh won 10 out of 29 matches and lost 19. However, his second term wasn't as successful. Although they won a two-match Test series in Pakistan, many failures have now been attributed to him. Bangladesh had a disappointing run in the 2023 ODI World Cup and also performed poorly in the 2024 T20 World Cup. During his second stint, Bangladesh won 5 out of 10 Test matches, 13 out of 35 ODIs, and 19 out of 35 T20Is.