BCB suspends Chandika Hathurusinghe over misconduct

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on disciplinary grounds. Hathurusinghe, who returned for his second stint as Bangladesh’s coach last year, has been suspended for 48 hours and will be "terminated immediately" after that period. The BCB has also served him a show-cause notice, with Phil Simmons set to take over as interim head coach until the 2025 Champions Trophy.

BCB president Faruque Ahmed explained the reasons behind Hathurusinghe’s suspension, stating, "Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct. First, there was an assault on a player, and secondly, he took more leaves than what was allowed in his contract."

Despite some achievements, including Bangladesh's first-ever Test series win in Pakistan earlier this year, Hathurusinghe's tenure has been marred by poor performances in major tournaments. Bangladesh struggled in last year's ODI World Cup and this year’s T20 World Cup. Their recent 2-0 Test series loss and 3-0 T20I defeat to India further fueled criticism of Hathurusinghe’s leadership.

Phil Simmons, former West Indies coach, will temporarily step into the role while the BCB searches for a long-term replacement.