BCB Terminates Contract with Head Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially terminated the contract of National Team Head Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on grounds of misconduct and breach of employment terms. Hathurusinghe, who began his second tenure with the Bangladesh team in January 2023, had five months remaining on his contract.

On Tuesday (15 October), the BCB served a notice to Hathurusinghe, seeking an explanation. Following the receipt of his response on Wednesday (16 October), an emergency meeting of the Board was convened today to review the situation. After considering all factors, the Board deemed Hathurusinghe's explanation unsatisfactory and unacceptable and found his action consistent with misconduct and dereliction of duty. His termination comes into immediate effect.

Board Endorses Appointment of Phil Simmons as National Team Head Coach

In light of this development, the Board in its meeting today, has endorsed the appointment of former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons as the new Head Coach of the Bangladesh National Team. Simmons will be in charge of the team for the next four events, which include:

• The ICC World Test Championship series against South Africa at home

• The ODI series against Afghanistan away

• The ICC World Test Championship Test series in the West Indies, along with ODI and T20i series

• The ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled for February-March 2025