The Bangladesh cricket team are most likely to remain without a permanent head coach when the side travel to Sri Lanka next month for the tri-nation T20I series involving India and the host. The BCB’s media and communications committee chairman Jalal Younus following the board’s cricket operations committee meeting at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Monday informed that the board has not been able to finalise a long-term head coach for the national team as of yet.
According to the BCB director, an appointment is unlikely ahead of the Nidahas T20I Trophy in Sri Lanka, which is only 22 days away. Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Colombo on March 4 with the tournament beginning two days later with India taking on Sri Lanka at R Premadasa Stadium.
The post of Bangladesh head coach went vacant after former Sri Lanka cricketer Chandika Hathurusingha made a surprising exit in November last year. The Tigers in their first assignment, after Hathurusingha’s resignation, in the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka followed by the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home, were guided by BCB director Khaled Mahmud, who performed his duty as the team’s technical director.
Following disappointing defeats in the tri-series final and in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka last week, importance of the board appointing a permanent coach was raised. Though the senior players and the captain are given the charge to make decision under the supervision of a technical director, it is understood that there has been a lack of guidance and authority regarding the making of final decisions, which usually come from the head coach.
The BCB since November last year has been in search of the next Bangladesh coach and had interviewed Richard Pybus for the post of head coach and Phil Simmons as the batting consultant. Last week it was revealed that Pybus had been appointed High Performance Director of West Indies cricket while Simmons was promoted as Afghanistan head coach.
“We had a meeting (in the cricket operations) and finding a national team head coach was the chief agenda. It is the priority now and we have put sources to work in order to find a coach who meets our criteria and demand,” informed Jalal to the media Monday.
“It is not that there is no coach available but we feel many of them will not be able to adjust with the Bangladesh team. Considering all facts we are not being able to make a hurried appointment,” Jalal added.
In such case, the BCB might be seen assigning a local coach for Bangladesh for the Nidahas Trophy and the current technical director Mahmud is the frontrunner for the position.
According to the BCB director, the board has finalised two options as the batting consultant. Former Australia cricketer Michael Bevan and former South Africa player Neil McKenzie are the two options the BCB is looking at. If everything falls into place, an appointment will be made before the team head to Sri Lanka for the T20I tri-series.
“You have already heard names of Bevan and McKenzie as options for the batting consultant. Chances are very little but we will try to get a batting consultant before the Nidahas Trophy,” said Jalal.
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