Finally, the debate is over. Finally, the BCB have ended the
waiting game. Finally, the Bangladesh
cricket team have a new coach.
After a lot of speculation, the BCB have appointed former
Sri Lankan batsman Chandika Hathurusinghe as the new coach. He left his job as
the assistant coach of New South Wales and coach of Sydney Thunders, after
being appointed as the Tigers head coach and will arrive in Dhaka by June 10. This
will be Hathurusingha’s first stint as the head coach of an international side
and above all, a Test playing nation.
The Bangladeshis know little about Hathurusingha and for
which they still are thinking whether the BCB have chosen the right person as
coach. Some people have already started to criticize BCB’s decision, but before
criticizing someone, first of all, it’s better to have considerable knowledge
about that person.
As a cricketer Hathurusingha showed a lot of promise. He was
an opening batsman whose style was compact and had a variety of strokes under
his repertoire. Until the emergence of Sanath Jayasuriya, he forged a very
formidable opening pair with Roshan Mahanama. Moreover, he was a medium pacer
who could move the ball through the air and had the habit of picking up crucial
wickets. He did well in his first series against New
Zealand , but it was overshadowed by some
serious lean-patches thereafter. His career didn’t progress the way it was
expected.
He played his last Test match and ODI in 1999 and was never
picked for the national squad again. Hathurusingha retired from first-class
cricket in 2004-05 and focused on developing himself as a cricket coach.
He was first appointed as the coach of United
Arab Emirates in December 2005 on a one-year
contract and after the end of that contract, he was appointed as the coach of
Sri Lanka A on a three-year contract. In 2009, he was appointed as the
assistant to Sri Lanka ’s
national coach, Trevor Bayliss. But he lost his job due to disciplinary reasons
as he returned from the Zimbabwe
tour early to attend a coaching course in Australia .
Kumar Sangakkara, who was the Sri Lankan captain then
requested the Lankan Board to reappoint Hathurusingha. In a letter to the board,
Sangakkara praised Hathurusingha’s "no nonsense" approach and his "even
and fair" treatment of players. Sangakkara also added that during
Hathurusingha's time as Sri Lanka 's
assistant coach; he had, "out-worked, out-thought and out-shone the
foreign coaching staff within the system".
Despite requests from Sangakkara, the Lankan Board didn’t
bother to reappoint him and subsequently, Hathurusingha obtained permanent
residency in Australia .
Hathurusingha worked as a coaching consultant for the Canadian cricket team
during the ICC World Cup 2011.
In September 2011, Hathurusingha was appointed as the
assistant coach of New South Wales
on a two-year contract. Midway through the 2012-13 season, the senior coach
Anthony Stuart was dismissed and thus, Hathurusingha was named acting coach for
the remainder of the season. In the 2013-14 season, Trevor Bayliss was
appointed coach of New South Wales
with Hathurusingha remaining as senior assistant and also taking over from
Shane Duff as coach of the Sydney Thunder at the Big Bash League. Hathurusingha might not have been successful
as a coach of the Sydney Thunders but he did well for the New
South Wales .
It seems that the BCB have appointed someone who is
experienced, smart and bears sound knowledge about the technical and tactical
aspects of the game. But, as a coach of the Bangladesh
cricket team, Hathurusingha’s journey won’t be rosy.
First of all, Hathurusingha’s main task would be to ensure
stability within the team, which is suffering from severe low self-esteem. Secondly,
he has to be a keen follower of our domestic cricket. Thirdly, he has to be the
best friend of the Tigers and Bangladesh
fans as well. Without being a very friendly person, it will not be easy for him
to work in Bangladesh .
And finally, the Bangladesh cricket fans need to be supportive enough. Most often, we think
that, such coaches bring an Aladdin’s lamp with them from where a genie will come
out and change things dramatically. But it is not that easy. The fans need to be
patient.
But for all these, the BCB must ensure a healthy environment
for Hathurusingha to work properly. Over the years, the BCB have been a body
where time and again whims, nepotisms and dirty politics have polluted our
cricket environment severely. And for which, our cricket has not progressed the
way it was expected.
Personal gains and choices are preferred more than cricket’s
perfect planning. The higher officials want the coach and captain to be their
remote-controlled toys which at times, dents one’s self-respect and thus
stagnant the desired progress.
People like Hathurusingha need freedom while working and
might not relish unnecessary interferences. The BCB must be careful about this.
They need to revamp their policies and must be very supportive with
Hathurusingha as people like him have no wish to become a remote-controlled toy.
Note: This article has been published on Sportskeeda 20/05/2014: http://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/bangladesh-cricket-welcomes-chandika-haturusingha-as-its-new-coach/
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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