Bangladesh Cricket Board suspends Chandika Hathurusinghe, appoints Phil Simmons as interim coach due to disciplinary issues

New Delhi: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken the decision to suspend head coach Chandika Hathurusingha on disciplinary grounds. The process for his termination is set to commence within the next 48 hours.

BCB President Faruque Ahmed announced the decision during a press conference on Tuesday. In the interim, former West Indies coach Phil Simmons has been appointed as head coach, a role he will hold until the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Hathurusinghe returned to Bangladesh in February 2023 for a second stint as head coach but faced consistent criticism during his time in charge. His first tenure from 2014 to 2017 saw significant successes, including ODI series wins against top teams and a quarterfinal appearance at the 2015 World Cup.

In his second stint, Hathurusinghe’s Bangladesh team won five out of 10 Test matches, 13 of 35 ODIs, and 19 of 35 T20Is, including a Test series victory in Pakistan. However, their performances in global tournaments were considered subpar, with disappointing outcomes in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, adding to the pressure on the coach.

One key incident involved in Hathurusinghe’s suspension is inappropriate behaviour towards a player. He was accused of slapping the cricketer, and after a thorough investigation, the BCB confirmed the allegations were true.

“There were incidents that, as a former cricketer, were painful for me to hear. The harassment of a cricketer was one of the reasons, and taking leave without permission is another issue. After 48 hours, we will proceed with his dismissal,” BCB president said.

In 2017, during a tour of South Africa, Hathurusinghe resigned abruptly and took over as head coach of Sri Lanka. Despite this, the BCB rehired him in January 2023.