Bangladesh without head coach for tri-series

Bangladesh will be without a head coach for the upcoming one-day international tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, as well as the Test and T20 series against Sri Lanka.

Bangladeshi Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said Richard Halsall, the assistant coach, will be in charge of coaching the side while manager Khaled Mahmud, Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza will share responsibilities in the absence of a permanent head coach.

Hassan said the BCB is still looking for a permanent coach after the position became vacant in November 2017 when Chandika Hathurusingha resigned.

The BCB has spoken to Andy Flower, Justin Langer, Tom Moody, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara as possible candidates for Hathurusingha’s replacement. All five declined.

The BCB then interviewed Richard Pybus and Phil Simmons, who was named as Afghanistan’s coach on December 31.

Hassan said while the coaching staff will remain in charge of their particular areas, Halsall will take an overall role. Mahmud, meanwhile, will work in a new role.

“The existing support staff will remain as it is,” Hassan said. “We will still be looking for a permanent coach during this time. But for this series, Khaled Mahmud, who has been working as a manager and an inter-link between the board and the players, is given a designation. I think Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza will act as coaches. A lot of it will depend on the senior players; they are confident that they can take up the challenge. Richard Halsall will be in charge of coaching.”

Mahmud has been seen overseeing day-to-day activities during the first week of the preliminary camp in Mirpur in the absence of Halsall, bowling coach Courtney Walsh and spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi.