In his first press conference as the BCB president, Faruque Ahmed has reiterated that Chandika Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as Bangladesh’s head coach. He had expressed the same view earlier this week as well, before taking up the BCB job.

“I am yet to find out about Chandika Hathurusinghe’s contract. I have to see some stuff officially but I have not moved from my previous stance,” Faruque said on Wednesday. “I have to speak to my colleague over the next two or three days, and see if we can find someone better than him. We have to prepare a shortlist, and see who wants to join us.”

Faruque had resigned as the chief selector in 2016 after then-BCB president Nazmul Hassan put a two-tier selection panel, reportedly at Hathurusinghe’s request. Hathurusinghe’s current contract as the head coach runs till the end of February 2025, when the Champions Trophy is also scheduled to get over.

“His credibility and background of what he has done on and off the field, there’s no reason for him to stay as Bangladesh’s coach,” he said on the YouTube show Not Out Noman. “You will lose some money if you sack him, but there will be greater damage by his presence. I had noticed that it is impossible to work in the environment he wants to work in.”

When Hathurusinghe was brought back for a second stint in 2023, Faruque was one of those who had questioned his return. Despite the BCB showing confidence in Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh didn’t continue the upswing of Steve Rhodes and Russell Domingo.

Within a few months of Hathurusinghe’s appointment, there was instability in the dressing room, with Tamim Iqbal retiring and Shakib Al Hasan lashing out at Tamim in the media. Allan Donald soon left his role as fast-bowling coach. Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup performance was also sub-par, with many questioning Hathurusinghe’s decision-making in the Super Eight game against Afghanistan.

“It was a real blunder to bring back Hathurusinghe for a second stint,” Faruque said. “He had left us in trouble the last time he left the job in 2017. Bangladesh was a stepping stone for him. He went back to his country, became their head coach. I couldn’t believe that a 25-member board of directors, including the president, could make such a decision. I hope they are realising their mistake.

“Those who brought him back thought that he was a magician. They thought that only Hathurusinghe created this bubble of success. Cricket is not about magic. Bangladesh’s success is due to a combination of players, coaches, selection committee and even board officials.”

In his long press conference at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, Faruque also said that he wanted to understand if Shakib was willing to play in Bangladesh this year. Shakib was an Awami League member of parliament until the government fell on August 5. Several ministers and MPs have been arrested since then while others have gone into hiding. They were also targets of violence in the aftermath of Awami League’s exit.

“We will give a lot of importance to understanding whether Shakib can play while staying outside Bangladesh. We have two home Tests coming up in October, so I will discuss with my directors what the policy should be about Shakib. It should have been a policy matter even before he became an MP that he won’t be allowed to do politics.”

Faruque, however, was hopeful of Tamim’s return to international cricket. Tamim had briefly retired from international cricket last year before making a U-turn on his decision and also opted out of the central contacts. He last played for Bangladesh in September 2023, after which he played in the BPL and DPL.

“The relevant board department will see what he has to do to play [for Bangladesh],” Faruque said. “I would like to see Tamim Iqbal play for two or three years more. Maybe ODI is his best format now. I think Tamim can tell you better whether he can play the longer format.

“I want to speak to Tamim about his future plans. He is a former captain so he definitely has leadership qualities. If he doesn’t want to play, I will be happy to see him get involved with the board. He can serve us well in the board.”

(Cricinfo)