Steve Rhodes became the first coach to feel the heat of not enabling his side to take the semifinal stage of the World Cup as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to discontinue his service for the national team. Rhodes was contracted with BCB up until the World T20 in Australia in 2020.

In a review meeting of Bangladesh’s World Cup performance yesterday at BCB headquarters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the board unanimously took the decision particularly for just Steve Rhodes. But they are yet to decide on the other backroom staff.

The BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, termed the decision as ‘separation on mutual agreement’ and said they would gradually look into the contract of other coaching staffs.

“We decided to discontinue

the service of Steve Rhodes,” Nizamuddin Chowdhury told the BSS.

“It’s not like that we are sacking him. We had a clause that stated we can assess our respective positions after this World Cup though he had the contract until next World Twenty20.”

“We can call it a mutual separation,” he said.

“We are implementing it from now onwards that means he is not available with us from tour of Sri Lanka,” he said.

BCB appointed Rhodes in June last year after Chandika Hathurusingha abruptly ended his contract. The English man was recommended by former South African player and India’s World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten, who took the advisor role for a remuneration of US$ 30,000. Rhodes was given contract with salary of US$ 23,000 per month.

Chowdhury, however, refused to reveal the further details on the part way between the BCB and Rhodes.

But it is reported that Rhodes had little control over the players, a thing BCB was not pleased with and the high ups made it clear to the coach during the World Cup.

His chance was to convince BCB by taking the side to the semifinal stage that he was unable to do.

Bangladesh won three matches, lost five and one match was washed out as they finished the World Cup, sitting at eight positions amongst the 10 teams.

Under Rhodes’ guidance, Bangladesh won their first multinational trophy when they lifted the Tri-nation Series apart from beating top teams like South Africa and West Indies in the ICC World Cup but BCB thinks his contribution here was minimal.

As Bangladesh will play a three-match series against Sri Lanka later this month, the CEO said they are yet to decide on who will guide the team in that series.

‘It’s too early to make comment who will coach the team. We are still working on this,” he said.

Apart from Rhodes other backroom staffs’ contract was till the World Cup and BCB is yet to take decision whether they would continue with them.

There is wide spread speculation that fast bowling coach Courtney Walsh, the West Indian legendary pace bowler will not be given extension.

It is also speculated that despite decent performance of spinners there is no guarantee Indian spin coach Sunil Joshi’s contract will be renewed, that ended with the World Cup.

Physio Thian Chandramohan is expected to be axed as well from the team management group as BCB is disappointed with his performance.

But it is expected that the board would renew the contract of fielding coach Ryan Cook and white ball batting consultant Neil McKenzie though the latter is not expected to be part of the team during the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka for the three-match ODI’s series.

“It’s not that they (other coaching staffs) will continue if we want them to continue with us. We are working on that. Right now we just decided on Rhodes that we’ll not continue with him,” Chowdhury said.