Chandika Hathurusinghe Suspended as Bangladesh Head Coach; Phil Simmons to Take Over

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on disciplinary grounds, following two counts of misconduct. Hathurusinghe, who has been with the team since February last year in his second stint, has been suspended for 48 hours, after which his contract will be terminated. Additionally, the BCB has issued him a show-cause notice.

BCB President Faruque Ahmed confirmed the decision, citing two major violations: “First, there was an incident involving an assault on a player. Secondly, Hathurusinghe took more leaves than what was stipulated in his contract.”

In the interim, former West Indies coach Phil Simmons will assume the role of head coach and is expected to lead the team until the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Hathurusinghe’s time with Bangladesh has been marked by mixed results. Despite a historic 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan this year—Bangladesh’s first-ever series win in Pakistan and their first overseas Test series win in 15 years—his tenure saw the team underperform in major tournaments. Bangladesh struggled in both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, which raised concerns about the direction of the team.

After BCB President Faruque Ahmed took office in August, he had expressed doubts about Hathurusinghe’s continuation as head coach. The team’s recent struggles, including a dismal tour of India where they lost 2-0 in the Tests and 3-0 in the T20I series, appear to have sealed his fate.

As Bangladesh prepares for future challenges, Simmons’ experience will be key in guiding the team through this transitional phase.