The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially suspended Chandika Hathurusingha from his position as the national team’s head coach, canceling his contract, which was originally set to run until the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The suspension was executed following an emergency Zoom meeting held by the BCB today.
BCB President Faruque Ahmed, currently attending an ICC meeting in Dubai, chaired the virtual meeting with board directors in Dhaka, where they formalized the decision to terminate Hathurusingha. The move follows a show-cause notice that was issued earlier, giving Hathurusingha 48 hours to respond.
Announcing the suspension earlier in the week, Faruque Ahmed said, “We have served Hathurusingha with a show-cause notice and suspended him from his duties as head coach. We have decided to appoint an interim coach for the upcoming South Africa, UAE, and West Indies tours, as well as for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.”
Phill Simmons has been named the interim head coach and will lead the Tigers until the conclusion of the Champions Trophy.
The BCB discussed Hathurusingha’s potential legal response to his suspension during today’s Zoom meeting and expressed readiness to handle any legal challenges if necessary.
This marks the end of Hathurusingha’s second tenure with Bangladesh, which began with a two-year contract. His first stint, from 2014 to 2017, saw major successes, including Bangladesh’s historic quarterfinal appearance in the 2015 World Cup and a semifinal finish in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
However, despite his accomplishments, Hathurusingha’s second tenure saw mixed results. Bangladesh won 13 of 35 ODIs, 19 of 35 T20Is, and had an even record in Tests with five wins and five losses. Ironically, his dismissal comes ahead of another series against South Africa—the same team Bangladesh was playing when Hathurusingha resigned during his first stint.
