Bangladesh cricket head coach Chandika Hathurusingha sensed a genuine chance of stunning Australia in the upcoming Test series, citing that the alienated condition here will leave the Aussies in troublesome state. According to him the Bangladesh could ‘do something against Australia what they
haven’t done in the past’, given their recent performance.
“I am really optimistic because the conditions are going to challenge them. We are improving as a team. We can do something, I am hoping, that we haven’t done before,” Hathurusingha said yesterday. Bangladesh played four Tests against the Aussies and duly lost all of them while won just one ODI in Cardiff in 2005 after playing 19 ODIs.
Injury, rest and retirement may force Australian to field an inexperienced side in the two-match Test series in October which is why Bangladesh consider them in advantageous position. The batting line up will be completely new following the retirement of the players likes Michael Clark, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson while David Warner is unlikely to make the tour due to his injury. Mitchel Johnson was given rest but the Australian bowling line up is still strong. Nonetheless their ability to extract the life in this sort of surface is not unquestionable.
The overall situation of Australia is good for Bangladesh but still there is some apprehension which Hathurusingha, who just a year ago coached an Australian domestic side, explained. “Regardless of whoever comes, playing against Australia is a big task for us. You can’t take them lightly. They have the best system in the world to produce cricketers. Recently their ‘A team’ did well in India. It is going to be a challenge in any way.”
Most of the national players would tour India in this month in order to have a preparation for the upcoming Australia. It is learnt that the coach was in favour to send a strong team to India. When asked he said, “Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, most of our ODI players are going to India. I think it is a good opportunity for us to those conditions. They have a lot of depth in their A team. In that sense, I am happy to see the national players.”
He is happy to see the commitment of the players. “Mario Villavarayen (trainer) is really happy with the players’ commitment. Normally he is not an easy man to impress but he is really enjoying the work. I gave that complement to the players. It is a good mind shift from the players. “For the batsmen, fitness is crucial. You can’t play a long innings if you are not fit. The fatigue comes, your concentration goes, and as a batsman you need one split second failure to lose your wicket.” Hathurusingha also wants to make young pace man Taskin Ahmed ready for the Test cricket given the shortage of the fast bowler in the pipeline.
Meanwhile Chandika Hathurusingha claimed that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board did not  approach him to become their coach, dismissing the report he said that he was not linked with his home board. “No official has contacted me. As a professional coach, whenever there is an opportunity for a job sometimes your name comes up. That’s all I have to say,” he cleared as the rumours were rife about his potential job in his home country Sri Lanka. He said he is happy to be in Bangladesh and is determined to contributed in team’s rise.
“At this point in time, the most important thing for me is coaching Bangladesh and making sure we win the next series,” said the coach who is the highest paid coach so far in Bangladesh’s history. However the sources added that Hathurusingha himself was not interested also to join in Sri Lanka considering the amount (US$ 26,000 including vat and tax approximately) he got from the BCB. His amount is much higher than the monthly salary of the entire national team players.