Hathurusingha to be sacked, Simmons named interim coach

The Chandika Hathurusingha era in Bangladesh cricket is coming to an end, with the Sri Lankan coach set to lose his position as the national team's head coach in just two days.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has issued a show-cause notice to Hathurusingha for violating contractual rules and mistreating players. He has also been suspended for 48 hours, after which the process to formally terminate him will begin.

BCB President Faruque Ahmed announced the decision at an urgent press conference held on Tuesday. He also revealed the name of the new interim coach, West Indian Phil Simmons. As per the initial contract, Simmons will serve as head coach until the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February next year.

Speaking about Hathurusingha's dismissal and the appointment of the new coach, Faruque Ahmed said, "Before terminating him, we followed the procedure and issued a show-cause notice. He's been suspended for 48 hours, and after that, we'll proceed with the termination. Phil Simmons will be the coach until the Champions Trophy."

Regarding Hathurusingha's sacking, Faruque further explained, "A few incidents occurred that were very troubling for me, as a former player, and they weren't a good example for the team either. Considering these factors, we issued him a show-cause notice and a letter relieving him of his duties today."

The primary reason for Hathurusingha's removal is a disciplinary issue, notably an incident involving left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. During the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, Hathurusingha was accused of physically mistreating Nasum. After an internal review, BCB found the allegations to be true. Faruque stated, "You can never physically harm a national team player. The consequence is what we are seeing now."

Phil Simmons brings extensive coaching experience to the role. His coaching career began at a Harare-based academy from 2002 to 2004, followed by his stint with the Zimbabwe national team from 2004 to 2005.

He led Ireland's cricket team from 2007 to 2015, guiding them through multiple World Cup campaigns. Simmons later coached the West Indies team during two separate periods, 2015-2017 and 2019-2022, with notable achievements including winning the 2016 ICC World T20.

His experience also includes coaching Afghanistan from 2017 to 2019, leading the Brampton Wolves in 2019, and working with Karachi Kings in 2023. Most recently, he coached Papua New Guinea from 2023 to 2024, further enhancing his reputation as an accomplished cricket coach.

BCB President Faruque also spoke highly of Simmons, saying, "He is a West Indian who has served as the head coach of several national teams, including West Indies, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan. He's had two stints with West Indies and has worked with various franchises. He's currently involved in coaching in Pakistan and recently worked in Major League Cricket in the USA. His career is quite impressive. It's important to understand that this is an interim period, not a long-term arrangement. The contract with Simmons is initially until the Champions Trophy."