"Regarding alleged assault...": Chandika Hathurusingha strongly rejects BCB's allegations of breach of conduct

Chandika Hathurusingha has come back hard at Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) claims of breaching the code of conduct during his tenure. Hathurusingha denied all such claims and showed his commitment to cooperating with any investigation into this matter.

Hathurusingha was sacked by the BCB with a 48 hour-notice period citing that the former Sri Lanka cricketer had breached some rules. He was firstly accused of pushing a team player physically during Bangladesh's ODI World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand at Chennai.

Secondly, he was accused of taking way too many leaves during his tenure which the BCB found to be unacceptable. As a result, his contract was terminated and the board appointed Phil Simmons as new Bangladesh head coach.

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Chandika Hathurusingha rejects BCB's claims of breach of conduct

Chandika Hathurusingha put out a statement to slam the BCB and rejected the allegations by the board which questioned his professionalism towards the Bangladesh cricket team.

"I am writing this letter to address the recent allegations made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) questioning my integrity and professionalism regarding an alleged assault on a player during the 2023 World Cup match and claims of excessive leave taken without permission. I cannot allow this presumption unchallenged without responding. I believe it is essential to clarify the facts as I see them surrounding these accusations and present my side of the story," Chandika Hathurusingha said in a statement.

He also explained the whole incident of the physical altercation with the player and argued why the incident had been out after so many months if it had occurred in the World Cup.

"Firstly, the alleged incident purportedly occurred in the players' dugout or dressing room, a location that is under constant surveillance during World Cup matches. With over 40 to 50 cameras capturing every moment of the game, I didn't get an opportunity cross examination an accuser nor witness any if at all there.

"Furthermore, if the incident was as serious as claimed, it is perplexing that the player involved did not report the incident to the team manager or any authority immediately following the alleged event. If a complaint was made, I wonder why I was not questioned or approached for my side of the story at that time. It raises the question as to why the narrative was orchestrated months later by an individual on YouTube?," he added.

Chandika Hathurusingha speaks on BCB's accusations on his leaves

Chandika Hathurusingha further cleared his position on the no. of leaves taken by him and claimed that the previous BCB higher authorities were not unhappy with his leave situation but the new authorities have different plans.

"Regarding the claims of taking leave, I want to clarify that I have consistently sought and received approval from both the CEO and the Chairman of Cricket Operations whenever I have taken personal leave. At no time did the BCB tell me that they were unhappy with my leave situation, but conversely, every time I asked for leave, it was granted by BCB. At no time did I go on leave without their authorization.

"When the new Board members alleged that I had taken excessive leave, they did not account for public holidays, such as Eid, nor the Fridays which may have occurred during my leave. Nor did they give credit for when I did not take allowed time off during public holidays. As I understand it, according to Bangladesh labour law, I am entitled to "time in lieu" for work done on Fridays. Additionally, as a BCB employee, I am entitled to leave on Fridays and a half-day off on Thursdays," the statement added.

Chandika Hathurusingha calls allegations "premeditated"

Chandika Hathurusingha further called these allegations as "premeditated" and remembered the statement of the new president to dismiss him from the role. He further expressed his shock over BCB's decision.

"These allegations appear to me to be premeditated. On the first day of the new president's term, he made a public statement expressing his desire to remove the head coach, which he acknowledged might involve financial repercussions for the BCB. Additionally, I was shocked to receive a "show cause notice" just four hours before the appointment of another head coach, despite the notice stating that I had 48 hours to prove my innocence. This sequence of events raises serious questions about the motives behind these actions," Hathurusingha said.

The former Sri Lanka allrounder further showed his commitment to defend his reputation and hoped for the truth to prevail after a thorough iovestigation on this matter.

"Given the circumstances, I was advised to leave Bangladesh on security grounds. The combination of these allegations, the swift appointment of a new head coach, and the apparent lack of due process raises significant concerns about the motivation of the new management and the treatment of employees within the BCB.

"I am committed to defend my reputation and will cooperate fully with any investigation into these matters. In the end truth will prevail, and I can continue to contribute positively to the sport I love," the former head coach concluded.

Bangladesh under Chandika Hathurusingha

The current term was Chandika Hathurusingha second term as Bangladesh's head coach. In this tenure, Bangladesh performed poorly in two ICC tournaments, ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024.

However, his biggest achievement as the country's head coach has to be Bangladesh's magnificent 2-0 series win over Pakistan in an away Test series. It was the first time Bangladesh had beaten Pakistan in any Test match ever.

Bangladesh went with high confidence to India straight after this series but performed poorly against a much higher-ranked team. They lost all the Tests and T20Is to India in the tour.