The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Tuesday the suspension of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha for misconduct, including an alleged assault of a player. The 56-year-old former Sri Lankan batsman was reappointed as head coach in 2023, after a successful tenure with the team from 2014 to 2017.
Trinidadian former all-rounder Phil Simmons has been named the stand-in coach and will lead the team until the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February 2025.
“You can’t assault a national player physically,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed stated while announcing Hathurusingha’s suspension, without providing details of the alleged incident.
Hathurusingha has not yet responded to the suspension.
This development comes after Bangladesh’s tour of India, where they lost both Tests and all three T20s. Bangladesh is set to play South Africa at home, with the first of two Tests starting on October 21. They will then travel to the United Arab Emirates for three ODIs against Afghanistan, starting November 6.
