Former South Africa opener and World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten sat down with the senior players of the Bangladesh cricket team to come to a decision regarding the next coach of the Tigers.

After the resignation of Chandika Hathurusingha following Bangladesh’s embarrassing tour to South Africa, Bangladesh have been without a coach and the quest has been raging on ever since.

With Gary Kirsten appointment as the consultant of the team, he arrived in Bangladesh with the sole purpose of recommending the next coach of the Tigers. After rendezvous with all the senior players – bar Shakib, who is in India playing the IPL – the name that the players have recommended the most is Mohammed Salauddin.

Salauddin is a revered figure in the Bangladesh cricketing circuit as the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim regard him as a mentor. He also won the Bangladesh Premier League title in 2015 with Comilla Victorians. After the players’ recommendation, Kirsten spoke to Salauddin himself and there is actually a chance that he could be the next coach of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Gary Kirsten spoke to the media at the Sonargaon Hotel and revealed that a coach could be named before the West Indies tour.

‘I have personally spoken to everyone,’ he said to the media. ‘It will be easier to make a decision after taking their opinions. I will sit with the president of the board [Nazmul Hasan Papon] after this.

‘I think we will appoint a new coach before the West Indies tour.’

It may be taking some time for the BCB to appoint a new head coach but matters look a lot more serious now with the former India coach’s arrival. Given that he has stated of a new appointment before the West Indies tour, there is a good chance for it to actually happen.