Dhaka, Oct 15 (V7N): Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended from his role as head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, with West Indian Phil Simmons stepping in as the interim coach. The announcement was made by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruk Ahmed at an unscheduled press conference in Mirpur on Tuesday.

Simmons, a former coach for both the West Indies and Afghanistan teams, will take over for a six-month period, lasting until the 2025 Champions Trophy. During this time, Bangladesh will face a series of key fixtures, including a home Test series against South Africa, an away ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE, and an all-format tour of the Caribbean.

The 61-year-old Simmons replaces Hathurusingha, who has been issued a show cause notice. Hathurusingha has 48 hours to respond, after which his contract is expected to be terminated.

The dismissal of the 56-year-old former Sri Lanka cricketer is reportedly due to disciplinary issues, including frequent holidays and trips to his home in Australia. Further complications arose following a committee investigation, which found that Hathurusingha had physically assaulted a Bangladesh player during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India.

This marks the end of Hathurusingha's second term as Bangladesh's head coach, following a similar turbulent conclusion to his first tenure in 2017.

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