Bangladesh Cricket Board’s search for a new head coach finally seems to have come to an end as former England keeper Steve Rhodes is set to join Bangladesh national team as head coach. He is set to arrive in Dhaka this week to take over the new role.

“Steve Rhodes is on our short list,” BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. “We hope that he will come to meet our board within the next two or three days. You have seen that Richard Pybus or Phil Simmons had previously come [for the coaching job]. Similarly, Steve Rhodes will meet with the board members and will give an interview.”

Nizamuddin said that the ICC World Cup 2019, which will take place in England and Wales, also had a part to play in deciding the new head coach as someone who has been involved in the game in the English condition would help the team prepare for the tournament better.

He said, “Basically we are giving priority to his experience and at the same time the ICC Cricket World Cup will be held in England, so we’re considering that as well. If we can involve someone from the English or similar conditions, it will be helpful."

BCB has been finding the right person for the job since Chandika Hathurusingha stepped down as the head coach back in October last year. The board named bowling coach Courtney Walsh as the interim head coach during the Nidahas Trophy in March and then retained the Caribbean for the Tigers’ ongoing series against Afghanistan.

Although numerous dates and names had been revealed previously regarding the appointment of a head coach, the BCB CEO has confirmed that the new head coach will join the team before the next training camp ahead of Bangladesh’s tour of West Indies.

“Bangladesh team is now in Dehradun, India. They will return on 8 or 9 of this month. Then the team will have a break before the West Indies series. Whoever the coach is, we hope that that he will be joining the team ahead of the next [training] camp,” said Nizamuddin.

After being hired as a consultant, World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten had created a shortlist for the vacant head coach’s position and Rhodes is one of the coaches who had been recommended by the South African.

“We have been working for a long time to find someone who is experienced and has been involved with the national team. When we came in contact with such coaches we saw that they are not free or can’t serve a full-time due to their [franchise-based] tournament commitments.

“We wanted to appoint someone who could work full-time and help the team. Among the names we have, he matched our requirements. Speaking of the recommendations, you know that Gary Kirsten is working with us as a consultant. We are moving forward according to the plan after consulting with him [Kirsten],“ he added.