As the head coach of Bangladesh, Chandika Hathurusingha has every reason to take pride in his team's accomplishments following their historic 2-0 Test series triumph in Pakistan. However, the Sri Lankan coach faces uncertainty regarding his future with the Tigers, despite his contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) extending until the Champions Trophy in 2025.
Typically, such uncertainty arises when a team underperforms, but in Hathurusingha's case, the situation is different due to a change in the BCB's leadership. It is well known that the new BCB president, Faruque Ahmed, is not a supporter of Hathurusingha. The former national captain has been vocal against Hathurusingha for several years and reiterated his stance upon assuming leadership of the country's most prominent sports body.
Will the success against Pakistan complicate Faruque's decision to remove Hathurusingha from his role?
The crucial question is whether Faruque will act on a personal grudge when deciding Hathurusingha's future or base his decision on merit for the greater good of Bangladesh cricket.
In June 2016, then-chief selector Faruque resigned hours after the Nazmul Hassan Papon-led board approved significant changes to the selection process. It was believed that Hathurusingha played a key role in these changes, which Faruque claimed allowed for potential interference.
Since then, Faruque has consistently criticised Hathurusingha for his detrimental interference in team matters, influencing decisions beyond his remit, and contributing to the decline of Bangladesh cricket.
Hathurusingha's success rate as Bangladesh coach is noteworthy: During his first tenure (May 19, 2014 – November 9, 2017), Bangladesh won six out of 21 Tests and drew four, while winning 25 out of 52 ODIs. In 29 T20Is, the Tigers won 10 matches. In his second tenure (from December 8, 2022, to present), Bangladesh won five out of 10 Tests, lost five, won three out of six ODIs, and 10 out of 21 T20Is.
Hathurusingha's strategic planning during his first tenure was highly praised before his controversial departure. Bangladesh achieved several memorable ODI home series wins against India, Pakistan, and South Africa, Test victories against England and Australia, and an away Test win against Sri Lanka. They also reached the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup.
In his current tenure, Hathurusingha has overseen a home T20I series whitewash against then-reigning champions England and a Test win against New Zealand, followed by the Rawalpindi heroics.
Unfortunately, this time around, he has been in the spotlight for negative reasons. Hathurusingha failed to manage the team effectively in two disastrous ICC events—the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup. Additionally, instead of fostering unity, he seemingly created more discord, particularly in the strained relationship between Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.
During Nazmul Hassan Papon's tenure, Hathurusingha was rarely held accountable, as the former BCB president preferred to focus on short-term successes and overlooked the Sri Lankan's operational methods. Faruque, however, values systems and must determine whether the lack of a proper system has caused the issues. If, after thorough analysis, Faruque concludes that Hathurusingha lacks the long-term vision and discipline to manage the team, his earlier stance will be justified, regardless of the team's historic success in Pakistan.
Personal grievances, however, should not influence these decisions. Ultimately, it is the board's responsibility to ensure the integrity of the system.
