"No reason for him to stay" - BCB president on the hunt for Chandika Hathurusinghe's replacement as Bangladesh's coach
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)'s newly elected president Faruque Ahmed has taken a strong stance against keeping Chandika Hathurusinghe as the men's national team's coach. The BCB boss reckons nothing that Hathurusinghe has achieved makes him a worthy candidate of holding the post.
The 55-year-old former cricketer quit as Bangladesh's coach in 2017, but the BCB decided to offer him a second stint early last year. However, his second stint has witnessed the national team exiting from the group stages of Asia Cup 2023, 50-over World Cup and T20 World Cup 2024.
Speaking on YouTube show Not Out Noman, Faruque stressed the need to shortlist a few candidates for Hathurusinghe's successor. He was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo:
"I am yet to find out about Chandika Hathurusinghe's contract. I have to see some stuff officially but I have not moved from my previous stance. I have to speak to my colleague over the next two or three days, and see if we can find someone better than him. We have to prepare a shortlist, and see who wants to join us. His credibility and background of what he has done on and off the field, there's no reason for him to stay."
With the ex-Sri Lankan cricketer's contract set to end in February 2025, Hathurusinghe said he will accept whatever his fate will be.
"Those who brought him back thought that he was a magician" - BCB president
Faruque feels the board of directors committed a blunder by reinstating Hathurusinghe and that they made a misjudgement. On this, he added:
"It was a real blunder to bring back Hathurusinghe for a second stint. He had left us in trouble the last time he left the job [in 2017]. Bangladesh was a stepping stone for him. He went back to his country, and became their head coach. I couldn't believe that a 25-member board of directors, including the president, could make such a decision.
"I hope they are realising their mistake. Those who brought him back thought that he was a magician. They thought that only Hathurusinghe created this bubble of success."
Bangladesh are currently involved in a Test series against Pakistan.