Mahmud interested in Tigers pace bowling coach post

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud is interested to take up the job of the national pace bowling coach, if given for a long term.

The post went vacant Wednesday after the Bangladesh Cricket Board released South African Charl Langeveldt on special consideration.

BCB released Langeveldt following a request from Cricket South Africa.

The former right-arm paceman is expected to take up a coaching role with his home team.

Langeveldt had joined the Bangladesh coaching staff, in place of the West Indies legend Courtney Walsh, in July this year on a contract that was due to end in 2021.

Cricket’s governing body in the country is now in the hunt for a new pace bowling coach, and at least an interim one for Bangladesh’s scheduled tour of Pakistan in January-February next year.

@BCBtigers pace bowling coach Charl Langeveldt has been released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board following a request from @OfficialCSA.https://t.co/rCRWU8AKlP#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BANGLADESH #CRICKET #CHARLLANGEVELDT #CHARL #LANGEVELDT #CSA #SOUTHAFRICA

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) December 18, 2019

And Mahmud has thrown his hat in the ring, adding his wish of getting a long term deal.

Mahmud had guided the Tigers as the head coach in the tri-nation ODI series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2018, followed by two Test matches against the Lankans.

This year, Mahmud took charge as interim coach for the tour of Sri Lanka comprising three ODIs.

“I will of course be interested if given the opportunity. Coaching is my profession so naturally there is interest. I had worked as Bangladesh head coach two times before but for a limited time. It hurts when the job ends and the results doesn’t come for us [team],” said Mahmud to the media at MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong Wednesday.

“I had said this before, it is better if the job is given for a long term. It is tough to arrange the team and work on short term. Every coach has his technique and it requires time to implement that. I watch Bangladesh team from close and know the players well. Then there is the fact of the acceptance of local coaches by the players. It’s a fact though that they are excited when a foreign coach takes the charge,” the former all-rounder added.

A right-arm medium pacer back in the days, Mahmud played 12 Tests and 77 ODIs.

#BCB: Cricketers will not be forced to go on #Pakistan tour https://t.co/7oPrXy929n

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) December 14, 2019

With the red ball, the 48-year old bagged 13 wickets while in 50-overs, he has 67 scalps.

A BCB director, Mahmud is currently working as the team technical director of Khulna Tigers in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20. 

With two wins in as many matches, Khulna are going strong in the tournament and next play Rangpur Rangers at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city Friday. 

Mahmud is one of the seven BCB directors who have been appointed by the board to each BBPL side. 

Informing the challenge of the role, Mahmud said, “I always take my work as a challenge whichever team I work for. I like to win, same as Mushfiqur Rahim [Tigers captain]. So there is a competition on. The [team] sponsor has expectation from us. We are trying to play the best possible game in the middle. The rest, time will say how good we have been.”