Bangladesh suspend head coach Chandika Hathurusingha for assaulting a player

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe for assaulting a player. The development comes after Bangladesh's disappointing tour of India.

In Short

• Bangladesh suspends coach Chandika Hathurusingha for assault allegations
• Hathurusingha, two counts of misconduct, was suspended for 48 hours
• Phil Simmons was appointed interim head coach for Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusingha on disciplinary grounds, following allegations of assaulting a player. Hathurusingha, who has faced two counts of misconduct, has been suspended for 48 hours and is set to be terminated immediately after that period. The BCB has also served him with a show-cause notice. Former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons will take over as interim head coach, with his contract set to run until the 2025 Champions Trophy.

"Hathurusingha has two counts of misconduct," BCB president Faruque Ahmed confirmed. "The first is an assault on a player, and the second is that he took more leaves than allowed in his contract."

Hathurusingha, who returned for his second stint as Bangladesh coach in February last year, has had a tumultuous time with the team. Under his leadership, Bangladesh had underwhelming performances, including disappointing showings in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. His most notable success came from a 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan, marking Bangladesh's maiden Test series victory in Pakistan and their first overseas Test series win in 15 years.

However, Bangladesh's form faltered shortly after, especially on the tour of India, where they were handed a 2-0 loss in Tests and a 3-0 whitewash in the T20Is, with a record defeat in the third match. These failures and the recent misconduct allegations have hastened Hathurusingha's departure.

This marks an abrupt end to Hathurusingha's second term as Bangladesh's head coach, a period that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver. His earlier stint from 2014 to 2017 had seen notable successes, including Bangladesh's strong showing in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which helped them secure automatic qualification for the 2019 ODI World Cup.

Phil Simmons, who has previously coached West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan, will step in as the interim head coach. His immediate task will be to prepare Bangladesh for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. Simmons, who led the West Indies from 2019 until the end of their Australian tour earlier this year, brings considerable coaching experience to a Bangladesh side looking for stability and a new direction.

Hathurusingha's suspension and impending termination mark a significant shake-up in Bangladesh cricket, with the team now looking to regroup under Simmons as they gear up for an important international series against South Africa.