The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially terminated the contract of National Team head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe due to misconduct and breach of employment terms.

Hathurusinghe, who commenced his second tenure as head coach of the Bangladesh team in January 2023, had five months remaining on his contract when the termination was announced.

On Tuesday, the BCB issued a notice to Hathurusinghe seeking an explanation regarding the allegations. After receiving his response on Wednesday, the board convened an emergency meeting to review the situation.

Upon consideration of all factors, the BCB board found Hathurusinghe's explanation unsatisfactory and unacceptable, deeming his actions as consistent with misconduct and dereliction of duty. Consequently, his termination takes immediate effect.

In light of this development, the board has endorsed the appointment of former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons as the new head coach of the Bangladesh National Team. Simmons will oversee the team for the upcoming four events:

-The ICC World Test Championship series against South Africa at home

-The ODI series against Afghanistan away

-The ICC World Test Championship Test series in the West Indies, alongside ODI and T20i series

-The ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled for February-March 2025