Akram Khan: ‘Walsh likely to continue as interim head coach’
Lured away from his position in Bangladesh, Chandika Hathurusingha had joined Sri Lanka national cricket team as head coach back in December last year. Since then, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) haven’t been able to find a new head coach for the team and had approached Courtney Walsh, Bangladesh’s fielding coach, to take up the role.
Walsh helped the team reach the Nidahas Trophy final, where the Tigers suffered a last-ball defeat against India. Following the Caribbean’s stint as the interim head coach, the assistant coach of the side—Richard Halsall, who was also the fielding coach, stepped down and a new coach is yet to step into the void left by his resignation.
Akram Khan, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, has confirmed that Sohel Islam, BCB's game development coach and the current heU-17 team head coach, will replace Halsall as fielding coach ahead of the three-T20I series against Afghanistan in India. He also said that Walsh will continue as the interim head coach should the BCB fail to find a head coach.
“If we cannot find any suitable head coach, those who were in the team management during the last series will continue,” said Akram. “If we fail to rope someone as head coach then Walsh is expected to act as the head coach considering his performances in the last series.”
BCB had announced a 31-member preliminary squad for the two back-to-back tours and had asked the squad members to report to Mario Villavarayen, the strength and conditioning coach. A preparatory camp for the selected players began at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday ahead of the upcoming 20-over series, and the tour of West Indies in July-August.
“It was okay the first day. All I needed to know was where everyone stands after a long session. So it was for me to get information from individuals, where they are,” Villavarayen said. “They are back and running. So Taskin [Ahmed], Mushy [Mushfiqur Rahim], Riyad [Mahmudullah] and Tamim [Iqbal], who started early, and they were fine. They are all getting back and they did what they had to do.
“Those guys who are down (with injuries), I need to keep working with them. That's what I will do when we start from the day after. We will keep continuing it through the next month during the Twenty20s and then before we go to West Indies,” said Mario.
