Hathurusinghe is waiting to talk to BCB to know his future

The relationship between BCB President Faruk Ahmed and Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha is well-known. After Faruk Ahmed was elected BCB President on August 21, Hathurusingha’s future became uncertain. The President reinforced this uncertainty during his first press conference. But what does Hathurusingha himself think about the matter?

A Test series between Bangladesh and Pakistan is ongoing in Pakistan. After defeating Pakistan by 10 wickets in the first Test, the second Test will take place tomorrow. Before that match, Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha addressed the media on Thursday, answering various questions.

At this moment, the most anticipated question for Hathurusingha is about his future as the Bangladesh coach. The BCB President mentioned that if they are looking for someone better, it could be the last series for him. In response to this question, Hathurusingha said:

"I understand that when new leadership takes charge, their mindset may be different. However, I am looking forward to the opportunity to discuss things with them. My job is to prepare the team in the best possible way. We are focused on the next match with the hard work we have put in over the past few months."

Hathurusingha noted that the players are on a high after their 10-wicket victory in the first Test against Pakistan. He stated, "Beating Pakistan on their own ground is not an easy task. They are a very strong team. We expect a tough fight from them in the second match. Depending on the conditions, we might make changes to the team after assessing the pitch. We haven’t seen the pitch yet, and there are some differences in the conditions from the previous match."

Hathurusingha highlighted the importance of partnerships as a key factor in the success of the first Test. He said, "I believe forming good partnerships at the start is crucial. Our openers batted well, albeit briefly, in the first 12 overs, which gave us confidence on the morning of the third day. Then, I think Sadman and Mominul formed a good partnership of 90 runs. Later, Litton and Miraz capitalized on that with Mushfiqur."

Having already taken a 1-0 lead in the series with their win in the first Test, what will be Bangladesh’s strategy for the second Test? Will it be aggressive or defensive? In response to this question, Hathurusingha said:

"Actually, we always go with an offensive strategy. Depending on the conditions, the strategy may change. There hasn’t been much change in our preparation since the first match. We know our strengths and limitations. We also understand the strengths and limitations of our opponents. We devise our strategy taking into account the pitch, conditions, and everything else."