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The recent incident of ‘Slapgate’ involving Bangladesh head coach and a player has sent shockwaves across the cricketing world.
Chandika Hathurusingha, Head Coach of Bangladesh speaks ahead of the India vs Bangladesh Test series. (Getty Images)
New Delhi: In a shocking developement, Bangladesh men’s team head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for inappropriate conduct during last year’s ODI World Cup in India.
Bangladesh, under Hathurusingha, recently endured a horrendous tour of India where they were whitewashed in both the Test and T20I series. The former Sri Lanka all-rounder will be sacked as the head coach of the team and will replaced by former West Indies all-rounder Phil Simmons.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Simmons will take the reigns of the Bangladesh team until next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
“Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended following allegations he slapped a player at last year’s ODI World Cup. His contract will be terminated after 48 hours of suspension, with Phil Simmons to take over until next year’s Champions Trophy,” said a quote in Cricinfo.
The return of ‘Slapgate’
The report made a shocking revelation about the reason for Hathurusingha’s suspension. BCB reportedly investigated an allegation from a player that Hathuasingha had slapped him during the ODI World Cup in India last year.
The incident brings back memories of the infamous episode in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when Harbhajan Singh slapped S. Sreesanth after a match and sent shockwaves across Indian cricket. The incident has since been known as ‘Slapgate’.
The Bangla Tigers had endured a forgettable campaign losing seven and winning just matches in the 2023 World Cup.
56-year-old Hathurusingha had rejoined the Bangladesh team in February last year for a second stint with the Asian team. His contract was set to expire after the 2025 Champions Trophy.
He will not be present with the team for Bangladesh’s upcoming two-match Test series on home soil against South Africa.
Hathurusingha’s most notable contribution to Bangladesh cricket was the historic Test series sweep in Pakistan. However, the team couldn’t replicate the performance in India and suffered an embarrassing 0-2 defeat in the two-Test series against Rohit Sharma’s side before slumping to a 0-3 loss against Suryakumar Yadav’s men in the T20I series.
Under Hathurusingha’s brief second stint, Bangladesh suffered debacles in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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