'Unusual' separation with Hathurusingha

A coach cannot be kept if he doesn't want to stay. In 2017, during the middle of the South Africa tour, Chandika Hathurusingha left the role of Bangladesh's coach, and he couldn't be retained. A coach can cling to his position, but that wasn't possible for Hathurusingha. Now, just before the home series against South Africa, the main coach of the Tigers has been sacked. Just as it is strange to leave a position in the middle of a series, it is equally odd to make the decision to dismiss a coach on grounds of misconduct. The unusual process of severing ties with Bangladesh twice is linked to South Africa's name. Coincidentally, both incidents occurred in October, first in 2017 and now in 2024!

Following August 5, changes took place in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Before Faruk Ahmed took over as BCB president, there were indications that a storm was brewing for Hathurusingha. In his first press conference after assuming office, hints of this storm were evident: “I don’t really know what the contract with Chandika Hathurusingha entails. I am still in the same position (indicating a stance against retaining Hathurusingha). I haven’t deviated from what I said.” After this hint given on August 21, the storm hit Bangladesh cricket yesterday.

One of the reasons cited for the coach's removal is "misconduct." Such an unusual reason for a coach to lose his job seems uniquely possible in Bangladesh! We can discuss that later. For now, let's understand the context of "misconduct." After the ODI World Cup held in India last year, reports surfaced in the media alleging that Hathurusingha physically harassed cricketer Nasum Ahmed. The former Sri Lankan cricketer faced numerous questions regarding this. As expected, he denied the allegations. At one point, he even questioned the quality of the media. If Hathurusingha had stopped there during a press conference on December 5, 2023, in Mirpur, it could have been accepted. However, he went on to raise concerns about the mental health of the questioner, which was certainly not normal.

What is also unusual is the BCB's attempt to cover up this issue. Faruk Ahmed's predecessor, Nazmul Hasan, had consistently denied the incident between Hathurusingha and Nasum Ahmed. It is not a rocket science to understand that such cover-ups can set a poor precedent for any team's discipline. The cover-up didn’t stop there. Following the incident, under pressure, a committee was formed, consisting of Enayet Hossain Siraj, Mahbub Anam, and Akram Khan, to investigate. This committee spoke with many related to the team; however, as is often the case in Bangladesh, there was no exception in Hathurusingha's case—no investigation report was ever published.

After Faruk Ahmed assumed office, this incident was brought back to the forefront—intentionally. This is where the theory of "misconduct" emerged! Additionally, there were issues regarding taking more leave than officially noted. By presenting these points, the board president has reportedly uprooted his "dislike" for Hathurusingha. In his first press conference after taking office, former cricketer Faruk Ahmed himself solidified this notion.

The incident of physically harassing a subordinate player, the board president's cover-up following the aggressive treatment of the media after they raised questions, the investigation committee's report being shelved, and ultimately using that incident as an excuse to remove the coach—all of it has been unusual and strange, particularly considering the match against New Zealand in Chennai during the World Cup.

Just eight weeks after taking office, Faruk Ahmed has made only one significant decision: to dismiss Hathurusingha. Was the coach ever given the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations on which this decision was based? In Tuesday's press conference, Faruk Ahmed was unable to clarify this, stating, “Hathurusingha has been served a show-cause notice and the decision to dismiss him was made for misconduct towards a national player and for misconduct as a board employee.”

If the coach was not given the opportunity to defend himself before his dismissal, there’s no doubt that the decision will be questioned. After losing his position as Bangladesh's coach, Hathurusingha is likely to be in a strong legal position. Those who know him and are aware of his past will be confident that he is preparing to confront the BCB with yet another legal battle.

Hathurusingha’s authority over the team, the atmosphere created in the dressing room after this coach arrives. While there is public sentiment against the BCB's decision, there is also support for it. However, one might question whether the decision is truly logical in light of the broader issues facing Bangladesh cricket and how to address them. Following August 5, there have been expectations of changes in various sectors in the country, including sports. Against that backdrop, Hathurusingha’s dismissal seems akin to the story of “applying balm to a headache for a foot pain”—a superficial solution to a deeper problem.

Various sensational stories about the board's past corruption are coming to light. There are allegations of cover-ups regarding the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), with claims that there are no accounts for hundreds of crores. In the past, board directors have been involved with various lower division clubs, and there have been accusations of match-fixing through umpires to manipulate the outcomes of various matches. During this time, allegations of fixed matches were also regular. Accusations of manipulation extended to several matches in the domestic top league as well. Such ongoing issues have weakened the structure of cricket in the country, and a white paper could have been published to address them. By punishing those involved, a precedent could have been set to prevent anyone from playing games with the country's cricket structure.

While there are supporters of Hathurusingha's dismissal, there are also those against it. Similarly, there are divided opinions regarding the role of this 56-year-old cricket expert as the head coach of Bangladesh. His hard work and contributions to the country's cricketing successes cannot be overlooked, but one cannot deny that preferences and biases may have led to divisions within the team. However, the manner in which Hathurusingha's chapter in Bangladesh came to an end is unexpected.

There is an old tendency in Bangladesh to sever ties with coaches, and this issue is not confined to cricket alone. It is also regularly observed in other disciplines such as football, hockey, and swimming. Sports enthusiasts are likely to remember the ongoing headlines about the national football team's foreign coaches being dismissed. The incident involving the dismissal of Germany's Gerhard Peter as the national hockey team's coach also made news. Interestingly, Peter has since returned as the technical director for the Bangladesh team. However, his current relationship with the hockey federation is not very good. Similarly, the South Korean coach of the national swimming team, Park Tae-gun, left under unusual circumstances.

In the cases of Gerhard Peter and Park Tae-gun, Bangladesh did not have to face any financial penalties; however, many past coaches, like former national team head coach Jamie Day, have managed to extract fines through legal battles. Following his dismissal, Hathurusingha stated that he would respond to the BCB after consulting with a lawyer, indicating that another legal battle is imminent. If the BCB wins this fight, there will be no issue; however, if they lose, another round of penalties could follow. Ultimately, only time will tell how the situation unfolds. If the decision had been made more thoughtfully, perhaps the complications could have been avoided!

Mahbub Sarkar: Sports writer and analyst