BCB shows no mercy, suspends head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe for slapping player during 2023 World Cup

Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lanka all-rounder under whom Bangladesh recently endured a forgettable tour of India, where they were whitewashed in both the Test and T20I series, was sacked for allegedly slapping a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup. BCB investigated into the matter after the allegation from the player, before suspending him.

“Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed told ESPNCricinfo. “First is about an assault on a player. Secondly, he took too many leaves, more than what was in his contract.”

The website further reported that former West Indies all-rounder Phil Simmons will replace Hathurusinghe as Bangladesh head coach and will be in charge of the team until the Champions Trophy next February.

How did Bangladesh fare under Chandika Hathurusinghe?

The veteran Sri Lanka cricketer returned to the Bangladesh team as their head coach for the second time in February last year. Under his mentorship, the Asian side incurred a horror World Cup show in India in October 2023 and later in the T20 World Cup earlier this summer. The only notable performance from Bangladesh, during his tenure, came in the tour of Pakistan, where the Najmul Shanton-led side scripted a historic 2-0 Test series whitewash. It was Bangladesh’s first-ever win in the format in Pakistan and a first overseas Test series victory in 15 years.

However, Bangladesh failed to carry the momentum forward as they suffered an embarrassing 0-2 defeat in the two-Test series against Rohit Sharma’s side and a 0-3 loss in the T20I series.

The contract of the 56-year-old Hathurusinghe, was to expire after the 2025 Champions Trophy.