Daily Times

DHAKA: Chandika Hathurusingha has joined the Bangladesh men’s national team as its head coach. Not long after Cricket New South Wales confirmed that Hathurusingha had parted ways with them, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a two-year deal starting next month. It has, however, not been confirmed which formats Hathurusingha would be in charge of, with S Sriram also around and at the helm of the T20I side. It has, however, not been announced which formats Hathurusingha would be in charge of, with S Sriram also around and at the helm of the T20I side. Earlier this month, the discussion between Sriram and the BCB in Dhaka reportedly didn’t yield a decision although the board has expressed in December that they want him to be the T20I head coach for the long-term.

This is the 54-year old Hathurusingha’s second stint in Bangladesh after he had served as the head coach from 2014 to 2017. Hathurusingha’s first reign included their famous home ODI series winning streak that included Bangladesh beating Pakistan, India and South Africa in consecutive months. It also included Bangladesh’s first forays into knockout stages of ICC events in 2015 and 2017, as well as maiden Test wins against England, Sri Lanka and Australia.

“It’s an honour to have been given this opportunity to coach the Bangladesh national team once again. I really loved the warmth of the people and the culture of Bangladesh. I’m looking forward to working with the players once again and enjoying their successes,” said Hathurusingha. During his first stint, Bangladesh had a 40.20 per cent success rate in 102 matches in charge. Steve Rhodes and Russell Domingo, his predecessors, had 51.11 and 42.34 per cent success rates, respectively. BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury welcomed back the new head coach. “Chandika’s experience and knowledge of Bangladesh cricket will be an advantage for him and will benefit the players. He is a proven tactician and we have seen his impact on the national team during his first assignment.”