Sports Desk

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) suspended national team's head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, citing his role in some issues that was unacceptable.

The BCB president Faruqur Ahmed announced the decision in a jam-packed press conference today and also named West Indies Phil Simmons as the interim coach till the Champions Trophy 2025.

"We have served Hathurusinga with a showcase notice and suspended him from the duty as head coach today," Faruque said here today.

"We have decided to appoint an interim coach for the upcoming South Africa, UAE, West Indies tour and ICC Champions Trophy in the next year."

Hathurusingha's suspension will come with immediate effect, Faruque informed.

"Hathurusingha has been told to reply to his showcause notice within 48 hours and his suspension will come with immediate effect," the BCB boss said, adding that after that his contract will be suspended.

"Phil Simmons has been named the new interim head coach. He will work until Champions Trophy," he informed.

He said Hathurusingha did something that as a former player he couldn't accept.

"He did something that is tough to accept for me as a former player," Faruque said.

Hathurusingha began his second stint as the Bangladesh head coach in January 2023, after signing a two-year contract.

His second stint as coach was mixed-bag. Hathurusingha's future as Bangladesh coach came under scanner after Faruque was elected as BCB president.

The duo was at loggerheads when Faruque was serving as the chief selector in his second term. Hathurusingha was accused to intervene in team selection process and got the support from the then BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon for which Faruque had to step down.

Initially, the Tigers had some success under his coaching as they won a home T20I series against England and beating Ireland in home and away series' in white-ball formats.

But his fishy role in the Shakib-Tamim fiasco right before the ODI World Cup put him in the thin ice. For his role in the spat, many demanded his removal from the team set up.

However, he saved himself after guiding the Tigers to victory in a home Test against New Zealand and then winning an ODI and T20I in the New Zealand tour.

He was again in the receiving end when Bangladesh lost a three-match T20I series 2-1 against the USA right before the T20 World Cup but taking Bangladesh to the Super 12s in the tournament was deemed enough to save him further.

Faruque however several times demanded Hathurusingha's removal right after Tamim-Shakib fiasco.

As Faruque was elected BCB president, Bangladesh pulled off a historic 2-0 sweep in the Test series over Pakistan and BCB seemed to go on back foot.

Time finally ran out for the Sri Lankan coach after Bangladesh got mauled in India series.

Hathurusingha's earlier stint as the Bangladesh head coach had run from 2014 to 2017. Under his supervision, Bangladesh reached the quarterfinal of the ODI World Cup for the first time in 2015, reached the semifinal of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and won home series against India, Pakistan and South Africa in 2015.

Bangladesh played 10 Tests, 35 ODIs and 35 T20Is under Hathurusingha in his second term. Win-loss ratio in Tests are identical with five losses against five wins. In ODIs, Bangladesh won 13 and lost 19 while three matches produced no result. Under his guidance, Bangladesh had 19 wins, 15 losses and one no result in 35 T20 matches.