McKenzie resigns; other coaches expected for SL
With the upcoming three-Test tour of Sri Lanka approaching and as the Bangladesh national team gear up to return to international cricket after a long gap due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been speculation about the availability of the coaching staff.
The speculation seemed to have basis in fact as Neil McKenzie, the influential limited-overs batting consultant, confirmed to The Daily Star yesterday that he had submitted his resignation.
"Yes, I have resigned; the only reason being time away from the family. With Covid-19, the schedule and doing all formats the time away from my young family would be too much. I have loved being a part of the Tigers and will always have a soft spot for Bangladesh cricket and the great guys I have been fortunate to work with," McKenzie told The Daily Star.
The BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury however said earlier yesterday they are yet to come to a decision through mutual understanding with McKenzie.
"We are in talks with McKenzie since he has informed us over his commitment to his family. At the moment I can only say that we will come to a decision through mutual understanding. McKenzie's son was not well after the World Cup in 2019 and since then he was willing to spend more time with his family," said Nizamuddin.
Later yesterday, after McKenzie had already confirmed his resignation to The Daily Star, the BCB informed through a media release that the board has parted ways with the South African.
The 44-year-old, who was initially appointed just as Bangladesh's limited-overs batting consultant, did however travel with the Bangladesh team for the two-match Test series in India last year.
BCB was keener on having McKenzie in all three formats as the squads are pretty similar across three formats and the board was eager to have one batting consultant to keep things simpler.
Meanwhile, there was also speculation about former New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan being the new batting consultant on the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, but Nizamuddin said it is still at too premature a stage to make comments as there are a few other contenders for the post.
Selectors are expected to announce the 20-member squad by September 7. It is expected that head coach Russell Domingo, along with fast bowling coach Ottis Gibson and fielding coach Ryan Cook, will arrive in Bangladesh by then to conduct a short residential camp from September 21 before leaving for Sri Lanka.
Tigers' spin bowling consultant Daniel Vettori will join the side in Sri Lanka and is expected to oversee both the High Performance and national team in the island nation. The reason for Vettori joining directly in Sri Lanka is his high daily salary, for which the board had decided to have him directly on the tour rather than keeping him in quarantine if he arrives in Bangladesh.
Head of physical performance, Trevor Lee, who was appointed for three years in March this year, is also expected to travel to Sri Lanka. However, it was learned that Lee tested positive for coronavirus in Dubai and is currently in isolation.
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