‘Sriram’s role is vast, not just pitches’
Although no specific explanation was given over the role of Bangladesh's technical consultant Sridharan Sriram after the former Indian cricketer was re-appointed for the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup, there have been questions over his role in the side.
Sriram was first appointed for the similar role during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021 and skipper Shakib Al Hasan said during an interview with a private TV channel that the players rated him highly for his valuable inputs which was one of the reasons for his re-appointment.
According to the sources the reason behind the reappointment of Sriram for this edition of the World Cup is because of his vast knowledge and experience of the Indian conditions, something Shakib too had said in the interview.
However after the thrashing 137 runs defeat to England in Dharamshala yesterday where England posted a mammoth total of 364 for 9 in 50 overs after being sent to bat, questions surfaced over whether the team management failed to read the pitch. According to head coach Chandika Hathurusingha the decision to field first was not a mistake.
"Sriram is here as a consultant for us, he's been with us in the last World Cup. So, his role is vast, not just about the pitches," said Hathurusingha.
The presence of another former captain Khaled Mahmud as the team director in the ongoing World Cup was also raised as the question was there on how does the team management actually function with various roles in the coaching staff.
"It's functioning well. Khaled is the manager or head of the delegation. Sriram is the consultant, and I'm the head coach. It's functioning well, and I'm happy with it. There's no such a thing (specific roles). They are free to contribute the way they see right. I'm very comfortable with that," he said.
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