‘It’s not rocket science’

Bangladesh Cricket Board director Khaled Mahmud, who is overseeing the team's training sessions and preparations for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, informed that his role as the interim coach is now clear after he had reiterated that there was uncertainty over his role with the team a few days ago.

"I have been given the responsibility of the team as an interim coach. I did not want to perform the role for a short term because it's harder to plan accordingly. The board is going through a crisis to be honest concerning finding an appropriate coach. Since I have been with the team for last 5-6 years and also because I have been working as the team manager, I wanted to support the team."

Asked if he had officially applied for the role of head coach, Mahmud said that it was a matter for the board to discuss and that he had had not applied yet. He however reiterated that given his broad experience of coaching at local cricket and the fact that he had performed the role of head coach in the Bangladesh Premier League, meant he had the credentials to coach the national team on a permanent basis.

"I have not applied yet. I feel that it is a matter of the board's pulse. You will see that in every department, we usually get a foreign coach. The board still does not have that much faith on local coaches."

"I do not know how much able I am but I think it's not rocket science [coaching in general]. Some of us have done level 3 or 4 coaching and we did not sit around after that but worked as well. I feel that as I was brought up in this country and played with these boys, it is relatively easier for me to plan things. It's more of a mental game to build the collective team spirit and focus of the eleven players. I think that it's easier for me since when a new coach arrives, there is a period of adaptation which I won't require.

"My coaching career is going on for the last 13-14 years and have worked as a head coach for 5-6 years for Chittagong [Vikings] and then Dhaka Dynamites. I have worked with other coaches and have seen how they work. It's about the drive and I think I am very passionate about cricket."