Bangladeshi batsmen are seen batting at the nets in their first training session at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. — BCB photo
Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Sunday it had received responses from several high profile coaches from both home and abroad and would consider about their fate in the upcoming board meeting, scheduled on July 27.
‘We got good responses from our advertisement. The board will talk about the availability of them as we are looking for a full time coach,’ BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Mirpur.
‘Some of the high profile coaches have contacted with us. Looking into the current scenario of international cricket, most of the high profile coaches keep them busy in domestic Twenty20 leagues. Our target will be picking a full-time coach, who should be available for regular works,’ he added.
The post of Bangladesh team head coach fell vacant on July 8 when the BCB decided to part away with Steve Rhodes upon mutual consent after a disappointing campaign in the World Cup.
Rhodes, who joined Bangladesh in June last year and guided the team to their first ever success in a multi-team event in Ireland just before the World Cup, failed to replicate the same performance in the World Cup.
The Tigers won just three games against fellow strugglers South Africa, West Indies and Afghanistan and was dropped down to eighth place at the end of league phase.
The BCB officially began their search for a new head coach for the national team by posting an advertisement in their official website and newspapers on July 11 and they took CVs from many foreign and locals coaches and amongst them some were high-profiled.
Interested candidates submitted their CVs by the deadline of July 18 and Nizamuddin said they were trying to decide about their new head coach within a short possible time.
Former captain Khaled Mahmud was named as interim head coach for Bangladesh’s three-match one-day international series tour of Sri Lanka but he did not apply for the permanent position.
Mahmud said he read the pulses of BCB officials, who preferred a foreigner to take over the charge. Nizamuddin said they do not have any particular reservation about a local coach.
‘Actually the advertisement was floated because sometimes we didn’t know about someone interested in taking the opportunity. When we heard from our sources that someone was interested, we knock them. Sometimes the person or his agent didn’t know about the vacancy so we gave an open invitation.
‘The persons, who will be shortlist for the job, we will make contact with him. After negotiation we will pick the most suitable person,’ he added.
Nizamuddin confirmed that some of the prominent local coaches also applied for the job though he didn’t mention any name.
‘Of course some of the local coaches applied for the job,’ he said.
‘Of course there is a positive side [language]. It will be great opportunity for the local coaches to work with foreign staff in the national team.
‘If the board feels to interview someone, they will take it otherwise they will be picked in a different way,’ he added.
Source: New Age.
