Bangladesh cricket team head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended from his duties with immediate effect with the West Indian Phil Simmons appointed on an interim basis as his replacement.
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Faruk Ahmed made this announcement at an impromptu press conference in Mirpur Tuesday.
The BCB chief said: “About our current coach (Hathurusingha), there were quite a few incidents which were painful for me as a former player and captain and also were bad examples for the team. Considering this we have served a show cause notice and suspension from duty to the head coach. There are mainly two reasons (for this suspension). Assaulting a national player and taking more leaves than allowed. I think there are some rules which have to be obliged.
“Assault means misconduct. I don’t want to mention that player’s name. It's not comfortable for that player either. As I said earlier, I felt really bad as a former player when I noticed this. It is absolutely unacceptable and should not be done in any circumstance. It is a pride being a national player, and you can’t assault anyone.
“International Cricket Council is also strict in these areas regarding racism or physical abuse. Yes, we are human beings, sometimes some unwanted things can happen in the heat of the moment. But still you can’t physically abuse any national team player. I have seen the investigation report, and have talked with the victim and eye-witnesses personally. We have reports from eyewitnesses as well. So after analyzing all these matters we have come to this decision.”
Former Windies and Afghanistan head coach Simmons has been given the responsibility for six months until the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Simmons will arrive in Dhaka Wednesday to join the team in preparation for the World Test Championship series against South Africa.
The Tigers will then play an away One Day International series against the Afghans in the United Arab Emirates and all-format bilateral series away to the Caribbean.
Most recently, Simmons has worked with teams in various franchise leagues, including the Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Major League Cricket in the USA, and the GT20 in Canada.
Former West Indies all-rounder Simmons, who featured in 26 Tests and 143 ODIs between 1987 and 1999, replaces Hathurusingha, who has been asked to reply to a show cause notice, and within 48 hours his contract will be terminated.
Former Sri Lanka cricketer Hathurusingha has largely been sacked due to disciplinary reasons, which includes his tendency to often take holidays and fly off to his home in Australia.
To add to that a probe committee had found out that the 56-year old physically assaulted a Bangladesh player during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India.
“These processes are not easy. There are legal matters. Also finding a coach in this era of franchise cricket is tough. For this period (till next Champions Trophy) we have appointed the former West Indies player Phil Simmons as interim coach, he has the experience of coaching many teams,” said Faruk, also alluding to the 61-year old Trinidadian's coaching stints with Zimbabwe and Ireland.
“I have had the opportunity to speak to Phil Simmons and have listened to his cricket philosophy and ideas. His extensive coaching experience, vision and proven track record of success make him an ideal choice for this role.”
And so, Hathurusingha's second tenure as the Tigers' head coach has ended in acrimonious circumstances, much like his first stint which concluded in 2017.