Rhodes running out of time
BCB: Roton Gomes
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes seemed to be running out of time as Bangladesh Cricket Board is mulling for a change in the hot seat as apparently he looked to have very little control over his charges.
“Give me six months to learn Bangla more fluently” –said Bangladesh head coach after Afghanistan pre-match press conference—a statement that shouldn’t be seemed fishy. In fact language is important part in teaching the student well. But that statement comes to the fore as discussion matter.
However in reply, the journalists present there, demanded a World Cup from him, saying, “Give us the World Cup, we will give you six more years.”
Rhodes is now in center of all discussion after this very statement because there lies some internal issues with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) who apparently looked not interest to give him extension after the World Cup even though he was contracted till the World T20 in Australia in 2020.
In the dressing room of Bangladesh and even the BCB officials coming England to watch the World Cup are displeased about Rhodes, according to a top level source.
The reason is that Rhodes has no control over the players, being a gentleman, a type of person which BCB never likes in the past. The burning example was Shane Jurgensen who was alleged not to control player the way the BCB could like.
But the interesting fact is that some players of the national team also agree with the BCB officials about Rhodes.
Former Worcestershire coach Rhodes may be capable to be guide a county team but he lacks personality to supervise a national team, highly placed source added.
The BCB thinks Rhodes also doesn’t possess the leadership quality to guide a developing team like Bangladesh.
To strengthen the coaching staff, BCB once decided to include former Australian coach Darren Lehman as a director of coaches.
But the decision was shelved, considering the fact that before the World cup this type of decisions can backfire and personality clash may come to the fore.
BCB noted that Rhodes has lack of control over the team, incapability of making good game plan, failing to send proper message regarding the match situation.
Under Rhodes guidance, Bangladesh won their first multinational trophy when they lifted the tri-nation trophy and also beat South Africa and West Indies in the World Cup but BCB and the players thinks his contribution here is minimal, sources added.
Wishing anonymity, one of the national cricketers said, “ He is a good person but not a good coach. He doesn’t even give a brief in the team meeting. No one in the team fears him. He doesn’t even get the proper respect as a coach.”
What looked odd is that team’s computer analyst Srinivas Chandrashekharon devised the game plan in the team meeting, while head coach remained silent listener, the player added.
Generally computer analyst’ task is to research about opponent, gather teams stats and information and by doing so prepare the game plan.
Head coach puts his thought and experience on that and makes it more impeccable and delivers it to the team.
BCB appointed Rhodes after Chandika Hathurusingha abruptly ended his contract. The English man was recommended by former South African player and India’s World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten, who took the advisor role for a remuneration of US$ 30,000. Rhodes was given contract with salary of US$ 23,000 per month.
At the time of appointment, BCB found something in Rhodes which was missing in the character of Hathurusingha, sources said.
Hathurusingha’s rude behavior sometimes hurt many people in different times. Board didn’t want new coach to be like that. But the new trouble is, Hathurusingha’s tough mentality is not in Rhodes, which BCB can’t like.
“A coach, needs to be tougher, the way Hathurusingha was. Only being a good person is not enough, we need a good coach too. Without saying anything, without some tough words, players won’t respect him, “
Not only this, there are some rumors about bringing back Hathurusingha once again. But one of BCB officials terminated that possibility but some other BCB sources confirmed that they are not ruling out the possibility.
It was learnt Hathurusingha and former Jamie Siddons are approached formally but unless BCB confirms any one of them or for that matter to replace Rhodes, BCB is unlikely to tell him goodbye.
Talk about coach in negative way is not right when an important tournament is going on. But the way Rhodes doing is work is not something that BCB could tolerate, even the players couldn’t take it. In the wake of the situation it looks all bleak for Rhodes, regardless of the team’s result.
