Despite his desire to lead Bangladesh as head coach for the duration of his contract, which runs until the Champions Trophy in 2025, Chandika Hathurusingha stated on Monday that he is prepared to step down should the new board decide not to retain him. With the recent change in administration that has caused a disruption in the board structure, Hathurusingha’s future has come under scrutiny. In addition, Hathurusingha’s strong ally, BCB president Nazmul Hasan has left the nation and announced his intention to resign from office.
“I don’t know what’s happening back home. I have signed a contract till whatever the date. I am looking forward to serve the term,” Hathurusingha told reporters in Islamabad on Monday. “If the board changes and the new people want to make a change, I am okay with that. If they want to continue with me, I am happy to continue,” he said.
In advance of the two-match Test series that is a part of the ICC Test Championship, Hathurusingha praised the Pakistan Cricket Board for being understanding of their predicament and permitting them to arrive early. Before heading to Islamabad in advance of the series, which is set to start on August 21 in Rawalpindi, where both Tests will be played, Bangladesh held a three-day camp in Lahore.
“The Lahore facilities are excellent. We thank the PCB for inviting us to come early. We had a good three days of practice over there. We had six players come earlier in the A team in Islamabad. In terms of preparation, we are very happy. In terms of mood, we are very much looking forward to the challenge,” Hathurusingha said.
“The Pindi pitch looks more favorable for fast bowling and batting. They also didn’t pick any spinners. Lately, we have developed a lot of good fast bowlers in our rank as well. If the condition favors, they will do well. Shakib Al Hasan and Miraz are two world-class all-rounders. We have all our bases covered for whatever they throw at us,” he said.
“The fast bowlers did well in the World Cup where they had favorable conditions. It hasn’t happened overnight. It developed in the last two years. They have not played 20 Tests altogether, so they are young fast bowlers compared to the Pakistan attack. I am really excited to see how they continue,” he added.
Hathurusingha acknowledged that they were worried about their batting, but he also said that batting becomes challenging on result-oriented pitches at home. He hoped that his batters would fare better in Pakistan. “Batting has been a concern for a while, but not for one reason. We play in result-oriented wickets back home. Sometimes 250 is a winning score in those pitches. Obviously, when you play on these pitches, the batters have a tough time.
“I hope the pitches in Pakistan generally favor batting. It is a good contest between bat and ball. We will show better results on these pitches,” he said.
