Faruque Ahmed, the newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, has reiterated his stance that Chandika Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as the head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team. Ahmed had previously expressed this view before taking up the BCB job.
“I have not moved from my previous stance,” Ahmed said. “I have to see some stuff officially, but I have to speak to my colleagues over the next two or three days and see if we can find someone better than him.”
Ahmed had resigned as the chief selector in 2016 after then-BCB president Nazmul Hassan put in place a two-tier selection panel, reportedly at Hathurusinghe’s request. Hathurusinghe’s current contract as the head coach runs till the end of February 2025.
Ahmed questioned Hathurusinghe’s credibility and background, stating that there was no reason for him to stay as Bangladesh’s coach. He believes that Hathurusinghe’s presence is causing greater damage to the team.
When Hathurusinghe was brought back for a second stint in 2023, Ahmed was one of those who had questioned his return. Despite the BCB showing confidence in Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh’s performance has not improved.
Within a few months of Hathurusinghe’s appointment, there was instability in the dressing room, with Tamim Iqbal retiring and Shakib Al Hasan lashing out at Tamim in the media. Allan Donald soon left his role as fast-bowling coach. Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup performance was also sub-par, with many questioning Hathurusinghe’s decision-making.
Ahmed believes that it was a blunder to bring back Hathurusinghe for a second stint. He feels that Hathurusinghe had left Bangladesh in trouble when he left the job in 2017 and that Bangladesh was merely a stepping stone for him.
Ahmed also expressed his desire to understand if Shakib Al Hasan is willing to play in Bangladesh this year. Shakib was an Awami League member of parliament until the government fell on August 5.
Ahmed is hopeful of Tamim Iqbal’s return to international cricket. He believes that Tamim can still play for two or three more years and that he has leadership qualities.
