Cricket Coach Fired Amid Assault Allegations

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has dismissed national team coach Chandika Hathurusinghe following allegations of misconduct. According to BCB President Faruque Ahmed, Hathurusinghe is accused of assaulting a player during last year's 50-over World Cup in India. Ahmed also cited the coach's excessive leaves as another reason for his dismissal. Hathurusinghe has been placed under a 48-hour suspension before his contract is officially terminated.

Phil Simmons, former head coach of teams including West Indies and Afghanistan, will assume the coaching role until the Champions Trophy in February next year. The board declined to disclose details of the alleged assault, but some reports suggest physical aggression was involved. Ahmed mentioned, "The victim is not very comfortable about it, I will not mention his name." He noted that Hathurusinghe's misconduct was compounded by absences in excess of what was permitted by his contract; they reportedly amounted to more than three months.

Hathurusinghe has not made any public statements regarding these allegations. Since taking over as coach last year, he led Bangladesh to a significant test win against Pakistan but also oversaw a series of defeats, including a 2-0 test loss in India. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)