Dhaka, Oct 15 (IANS): Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on disciplinary grounds, with the process for his termination set to begin in 48 hours.

The decision was announced during a press conference on Tuesday by BCB president Faruque Ahmed. Phil Simmons, the former West Indies coach, has been named as interim coach until the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Hathurusinghe returned to Bangladesh in February 2023 for a second stint as head coach, faced criticism throughout his time in charge. During his initial tenure from 2014 to 2017, Bangladesh found success in ODI series against top teams and reaching the 2015 World Cup quarterfinals.

In his second stint, Hathurusinghe's Bangladesh side won five out of 10 Test matches, 13 of 35 ODIs, and 19 of 35 T20Is. Though they secured a Test series victory in Pakistan. But their performance in global tournaments, was deemed below par. Bangladesh’s disappointing performances in the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup added to the pressure.

One key incident involved in Hathurusinghe’s suspension is inappropriate behaviour towards a player. He was accused of slapping the cricketer, and after a thorough investigation, the BCB confirmed the allegations were true.

"There were incidents that, as a former cricketer, were painful for me to hear. The harassment of a cricketer was one of the reasons, and taking leave without permission is another issue. After 48 hours, we will proceed with his dismissal," BCB president said.

In 2017, during a tour of South Africa, Hathurusinghe resigned abruptly and took over as head coach of Sri Lanka. Despite this, the BCB rehired him in January 2023.