Just a few days ago, the Bangladesh side traveled to India to play a two-match Test series. They entered into the series after whitewashing the Pakistan side in a two-match Test series. But in the entire Test series, the visitors kept facing troubles and ended up losing the Test series by a 2-0 margin. After disappointingly losing the Test series, the BCB took an immediate move. They sacked Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. Now, the former Bangladeshi head coach raises questions over the spontaneous move by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
BCB’s Big Move and Hathurusinghe’s Words:
After a long, Test cricket came back to Indian soil after a long with the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Bangladesh stepped into the tournament with huge confidence. Before the series, they defeated Pakistan with a 2-0 margin in a two-match Test series on Pakistani soil. That was an incredible milestone. But they completely choked in both Test matches against India. After losing the first Test match in Chennai by a huge margin, they faced a disappointing defeat at Kanpur.
After that, the Bangladesh Cricket Board took a big move. They sacked Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. He was dismissed by the BCB following allegations during the 2023 ODI World Cup. The first accusation involved an alleged assault on a player. The second claim stated that he took excessive leave, exceeding the number allowed under his contract, leading to his removal.
While talking about this, he said, “These allegations appear to me to be premeditated. On the first day of the new president’s term, he made a public statement expressing his desire to remove the head coach, which he acknowledged might involve financial repercussions for the BCB.”
Later he added, “Additionally, I was shocked to receive a ‘show cause notice’ just four hours before the appointment of another head coach, despite the notice stating that I had 48 hours to prove my innocence. This sequence of events raises serious questions about the motives behind these actions.”
Hathurusinghe on the Allegations:
Against Hathurusinghe, the first allegation was that he hit a player during the 2023 World Cup in India. As per reports, during the 2023 World Cup match against New Zealand in Chennai, Hathurusinghe was reportedly involved in an incident. Allegedly, he struck a player during a drinks break. The player had taken a moment too long to deliver drinks to the batters in the middle. That is said to have triggered Hathurusinghe’s reaction.
Hathutusinghe is not admitting the allegation. While talking about this, he said, “I cannot allow this presumption [to go] unchallenged without responding. I believe it is essential to clarify the facts as I see them surrounding these accusations and present my side of the story. Firstly, the alleged incident purportedly occurred in the players’ dugout or dressing room, a location that is under constant surveillance during World Cup matches…”
Later he added, “Furthermore, if the incident was as serious as claimed, it is perplexing that the player involved did not report the incident to the team manager or any authority immediately following the alleged event. If a complaint was made, I wonder why I was not questioned or approached for my side of the story at that time. It raises the question as to why the narrative was orchestrated months later by an individual on YouTube.”
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Reflecting on the Second Allegation:
Against Hathurusinghe the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s second allegation was about his excessive leaves. As per the reports, he took too many leaves than he was contracted initially. While talking about this, he said, “I have consistently sought and received approval from both the CEO and the chairman of cricket operations whenever I have taken personal leave. At no time did the BCB tell me that they were unhappy with my leave situation, but conversely, every time I asked for leave, it was granted by BCB. At no time did I go on leave without their authorization.”
Later he said, “When the new board members alleged that I had taken excessive leave, they did not account for public holidays, such as Eid, nor the Fridays which may have occurred during my leave. Nor did they give credit for when I did not take allowed time off during public holidays..”
Lastly, he added, “As I understand it, according to Bangladesh labor law, I am entitled to ‘time in lieu’ for work done on Fridays. Additionally, as a BCB employee, I am entitled to leave on Fridays and a half-day off on Thursdays.”
The Former Head Coach on BCB’s Advise to Him:
In the past few months, Bangladesh’s political instability has grabbed attention. The entire nation was shattered. A major ICC tournament was shifted from Bangladesh. Standing at the point, Hathurusinghe claimed that he was advised to leave the country keeping the unstable situation in mind.
While reflecting on that, he said, “Given the circumstances, I was advised to leave Bangladesh on security grounds. The combination of these allegations, the swift appointment of a new head coach, and the apparent lack of due process raises significant concerns about the motivation of the new management and the treatment of employees within the BCB.”
Lastly, he added, “I am committed to defending my reputation and will cooperate fully with any investigation into these matters. In the end truth will prevail, and I can continue to contribute positively to the sport I love.”
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