Majority of the Bangladesh Cricket Board directors are strongly in favor of parting ways with Chandika Hathurusingha as the national team head coach.
The view among the board top brass has been driven by Bangladesh’s poor performance in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, and for the long list of incidents involving Hathurusingha that showcased an unhealthy dressing room.
Bangladesh had gone into the 50-over World Cup after finishing third in the World Cup Super League standings, travelling to India with high hopes.
But the team under the captaincy of Shakib al Hasan and claimed autocratic decisions of Hathurusingha produced Bangladesh’s worst ever result in the One Day International World Cup since 2003.
Bangladesh won just two games out of nine in the 10-nation tournament and finished eighth in the points table, avoiding a narrow escape from getting disqualified from the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The BCB has maintained almost total silence on Bangladesh’s performance in the World Cup, particularly its president Nazmul Hasan.
The BCB boss is well known for sharing his opinion on almost everything that is related to the national team, unlike this time when discussion is wide in the cricket fraternity and among the game’s enthusiasts.
Discussion is widespread in the board that the reason for the silence is because BCB chief Nazmul was the main force responsible for bringing back Hathurusingha as the head coach and that Shakib as captain was his top choice.
“Eighty percent of the directors are in favor of not continuing with Hathurusingha. But there is also understanding that the board cannot come to a drastic decision immediately. There is the challenge of finding a replacement and also, the board needs to look at the agreement papers which have been signed with Hathurusingha. It has not been even a year that Hathurusingha got the appointment. There will surely be a long discussion on the matters in the next board meeting,” said a BCB high-up requesting anonymity to Dhaka Tribune.
It is understood that the group is also against Hathurusingha having “immense power” that he currently possesses and of the opinion that it should be cut off if there is no way to dismiss the agreement with the former Sri Lankan cricketer immediately.
The dominant group believes the team in the World Cup having no back-up top-order batter and regular shuffle in the batting line-up were clear calls of Hathurusingha.
Alongside the tyrannical decisions, Hathurusingha’s interference in work of the other coaches and his rude behavior with junior cricketers in the team have also irked many in the board.
Rift between Hathurusingha and other coaching staff members was evident.
The distance between the colleagues was not limited only at the team hotel but also on the field.
There have been instances when the other coaching staff members, namely former Bangladesh pace bowling coach Allan Donald and former spin bowling coach Rangana Herath, had taken the players to a corner of the field during training sessions to keep away from Hathurusingha’s interference.
A lot will depend on the report of Bangladesh national team director for the World Cup, Khaled Mahmud.
Former Bangladesh captain and now a BCB director, Mahmud was vocal that there will surely be a post-mortem of the failed World Cup campaign.
Mahmud during his interaction with the media at the World Cup in India was clear with his frustration for the “zero role” he had in the team, and said he would never have been part of the side if he had the slightest of idea regarding his role.
It is understood that Mahmud is going to raise the matters against Hathurusingha which are to be discussed in the next board meeting.
But as it has happened so far, the desperate need for a board meeting has seen no light, much to the annoyance of the eagerly awaiting directors.
