In a sudden move, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has placed head coach Chandika Hathurusingha under a 48-hour suspension due to violations of contractual agreements and allegations of player mistreatment. The board is set to initiate the process for his formal termination following this suspension.
BCB President Faruque Ahmed shared these updates at an urgent press conference held on Tuesday, where he also announced Phil Simmons as the new interim head coach.
Phil Simmons, a renowned figure in the cricketing world, will step into the role until the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in February next year. Faruque Ahmed emphasized the protocol followed before reaching this decision:
“We issued a show-cause notice and provided him with a suspension period. After this, we’ll proceed with the termination process. Phil Simmons will guide the team until the Champions Trophy.”
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The primary catalyst for Hathurusingha’s suspension revolves around disciplinary issues. Notably, during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, he faced serious accusations of physically mistreating left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed.
An internal review by the BCB confirmed these claims, leading to the board’s decisive action. Faruque stated firmly,
“You can never physically harm a national team player. The consequence is what we are seeing now.”
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Phil Simmons brings a wealth of experience to the interim head coach role. His coaching journey commenced at a cricket academy in Harare from 2002 to 2004, followed by a tenure with the Zimbabwe national team for a year. His leadership of the Ireland cricket team from 2007 to 2015 was marked by successful World Cup campaigns.
Later, Simmons had two stints as head coach of the West Indies, one from 2015 to 2017 and the other from 2019 to 2022, during which he celebrated a memorable ICC World T20 victory in 2016.
Beyond his time with the West Indies, Simmons coached the Afghanistan national team between 2017 and 2019 and has worked with various franchises globally. Most recently, he was involved with the Brampton Wolves and Karachi Kings. His latest role was with Papua New Guinea, extending his impressive coaching repertoire.
In highlighting Simmons’ credentials, BCB President Faruque noted, “He is a West Indian with extensive experience as a head coach across several national teams. His track record in both international and franchise cricket is commendable.” However, he clarified that Simmons’ appointment is temporary, and initial plans are set until the ICC Champions Trophy.