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Former Bangladesh men's cricket team head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has hit out at Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over allegations of assaulting a player which led to him getting sacked. On October 15, BCB suspended Hathurusingha. In addition to assaulting a player during the ODI World Cup 2023, the other major allegation was taking too many leaves.
In a statement, Hathurusingha has challenged the board to prove their claims which led to his sacking. He tried to tell his side of the story and questioned the players' failure to report the incident.
"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," the former Sri Lankan player said in a statement.
"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.
BCB always approved Hathurusingha’s leaves
Hathurusingha also addressed the allegations around him taking as many as three months of leaves spread across his tenure. The BCB has alleged that it did not authorise the leaves. Hathurusingha falsified it by saying that his leave requests were never denied by the board.
"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," he said.
"It is also important to highlight that during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), it is common practice for foreign coaches to take leave. This is not an exception unique to me but rather a norm established for many foreign coaches before my tenure. However, leave taken during BPL is not considered over and above the leave entitlement as per my contract," he added.
Concern for behaviour towards other employees
The 56-year-old has agreed to co-operate with the authorities during his investigation and expressed concerns for other employees in the organisation as he was given the 'show cause notice' just a few hours before another head coach was appointed.
"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," he said.
"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," he concluded.
