Photo: Reuters
Bangladesh has named former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons as the new coach of their men's national team, according to the country's cricket board (BCB). Simmons has been given a short-term contract that will last until the next year's Champions Trophy, the BCB confirmed on Tuesday. The 61-year-old takes over from Chandika Hathurusingha, who was reportedly suspended due to disciplinary issues, as reported by ESPNCricinfo earlier on the same day.
The website quoted BCB president Faruque Ahmed stating, "Hathurusingha has two counts of misconduct. The first involves an assault on a player, and the second is about taking too many leaves, more than what was stipulated in his contract." Although the BCB did not explicitly confirm Hathurusingha's dismissal, they announced that Simmons will arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday to assist the team in preparing for their upcoming Test series against South Africa.
Ahmed expressed his confidence in Simmons, saying, "I have spoken with Phil Simmons and discussed his cricket philosophy and ideas. His extensive coaching experience, vision, and proven track record of success make him the perfect fit for this position." Hathurusingha, who previously coached Bangladesh from 2014-2017, returned for a second stint in January last year, but Ahmed questioned the decision to re-appoint him.
Ahmed assumed leadership of the BCB in August following Nazmul Hasan Papon's resignation amid political turmoil in the country. He stated that Hathurusingha should not continue as head coach. Under Hathurusingha's guidance, Bangladesh struggled in the last two white-ball World Cups, failing to advance past the group stage. However, they achieved a historic 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan in September, marking their first overseas series win in the format in 15 years.
Despite this success, Bangladesh was subsequently whitewashed by India in a two-match Test series and suffered a clean sweep in a three-match Twenty20 international series against India last week. Simmons, who led West Indies to T20 World Championship glory in 2016, began his international coaching career with Zimbabwe in 2004 and has since coached several other teams, including Ireland and Afghanistan.
