Hathurusinghe questions BCB’s motives after sacking

Sacked Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe has accused BCB president Faruque Ahmed of making “premeditated” allegations against him – of assaulting a player and breaching his terms of employment. The BCB had on Thursday removed Hathurusinghe as coach of the national men’s team citing those reasons, and appointed Phil Simmons until the Champions Trophy in 2025.

“These allegations appear to me to be premeditated,” Hathurusinghe said in a statement sent to ESPNcricinfo. “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.

“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.”

The BCB had suspended Hathurusinghe on October 15 for allegedly assaulting a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup and for taking more time off than was permitted in his contract. The board formally terminated his contract on October 17.

Hathurusinghe said the player in question had not reported the incident to the Bangladesh team manager at the time, and that the alleged incident came to light only when a YouTuber “orchestrated the narrative”.

“I cannot allow this presumption [to go] unchallenged without responding,” Hathurusinghe wrote. “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…

“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?”

“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”

Chandika Hathurusinghe

The BCB’s second allegation against Hathurusinghe was taking excessive time off. ESPNcricinfo has learned that he reportedly took 112 days off in 2023 and 59 in 2024, when his contract allowed him only 45 days of leave in a year. Hathurusinghe said he had been granted leave by BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury and the cricket operations committee chairman Jalal Yunus.

“I have consistently sought and received approval from both the CEO and the chairman of cricket operations whenever I have taken personal leave,” he said. “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 authorisation.

“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. As I understand it, according to Bangladesh labour 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.”

Hathurusinghe: I was advised to leave Bangladesh on security grounds

Hathurusinghe said he had left Bangladesh for reasons of security, and questioned the BCB’s treatment of its employees and the motivation of the new board administration, which was put in place following the overthrow of the Bangladesh government in August.

“Given the circumstances, I was advised to leave Bangladesh on security grounds,” Hathurusinghe said. “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.

“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.”

This was Hathurusinghe’s second stint as Bangladesh coach. He was appointed in 2014 and stayed for three years before resigning in October 2017. He returned in February 2023 and was sacked with five months left in his two-year term.