Hesson, Hathurusingha on shortlist for Bangladesh coach

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has cranked up its search for the senior team coach, with the side's next assignment - a one-off Test against Afghanistan - less than a month away. The board's shortlist included Mike Hesson, Grant Flower, Paul Farbrace, Russell Domingo and Chandika Hathurusingha, after Andy Flower declined the board's offer a second time. The BCB may be in a race with other subcontinent boards, with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan also looking for a head coach, and ongoing issues between Hathurusingha and Sri Lanka Cricket.

Farbrace, it is understood, is out of the running after he declined the BCB's offer to take things further.* It is the second time the former England assistant coach has done so; he was among those being discussed for the role even though he had declined the board's offer in March last year. The BCB eventually appointed Steve Rhodes then, with whom it parted ways immediately after the World Cup.

Cricday has learned that Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, is a frontrunner, with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and some directors expressing interest. However, Domingo, who coached South Africa from 2013 to 2016, was the first coach to be interviewed as the board began its process in Dhaka on Thursday. Grant Flower, who was Pakistan's batting coach, and Hathurusingha remain on the periphery of the board's interest.

Hathurusingha, who coached Bangladesh from 2014 to 2017, is known to be a favourite of the BCB president and a few directors, even though he quit to take up the Sri Lanka job in October 2017. However, Cricday understands that Hathurusingha's ongoing struggle with Sri Lanka Cricket, which resulted in his suspension this week, has resulted in a difference of opinion between the Bangladesh board directors over his prospects. Still, the BCB will reportedly conduct a telephone interview with Hathurusingha, which doesn't rule him out of contention.

The, BCB, meanwhile, was impressed with Domingo's presentation during the interview.

"We have started working with our shortlisted coaches," the BCB's media committee chairman, Jalal Yunus, said. "We have just conducted an interview with Russell Domingo, the former South Africa coach. He is a real professional. He is well qualified. He gave us a presentation about what he thinks about Bangladesh cricket. It was satisfying for the BCB.

"We will interview the rest of the coaches on our shortlist. We have two more to interview in the next few days, and then we will choose between these coaches."

Additional reporting by George Dobell.

*08.15 GMT, August 8: The article was updated when news of Farbrace's decision came in.