DHAKA, July 17, 2019 (BSS) – Khaled Mahmud Sujon is yet to discuss with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about his aspiration to be the full time coach of Tigers, a role for which he said he is ready to step down as BCB director.
Mahmud, the former Bangladesh skipper said few days back that he was ready to step down as BCB director if the Board makes him the national team’s coach on a permanent basis.
He wants to give this proposal to board to avoid conflict of interest as he was alleged earlier to use his power. He is currently the chairman of Game Development Committee, vice chairman of the Cricket Operations Committee and at the same time involved as coach in Abahani Limited in Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and Dhaka Dynamites in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
He is also the national team manager and sometimes plays role as national team’s interim coach when the foreign coach resigns or sacked.
The BCB time to time gave him these roles; Mahmud was always criticized by some quarters who do not like him to occupy so many positions at the same time.
Therefore Mahmud said, he is ready to step down as BCB director if he is given the role of national team’s full time coach.
At the same time, he said, his role for the three-match series against Sri Lanka is yet to be defined.
Cricket Operations Chairman Akram Khan however requested him to supervise team’s practice session as they are without any head coach.
Mahmud therefore began guiding Tigers as they began their preparation for the three-match ODI’s series against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, said,
“I haven’t discussed with the board regarding this matter [long term coaching role]. Akram bhai told me to look after the team as we don’t have any coach at this moment. But I haven’t talked officially with the board,” Mahmud told reporters on Wednesday.
”The main thing is that I have been with the Bangladesh team for a long time and one thing I say all the time that I have work for my country. As my country needs me now, so Ii am doing it. But i will definitely talk with them regarding this,” he revealed.
“I don’t know in what position I am at now, it may happen that we can also get a good coach. It will be good for us for sure but for now, I will conduct these training sessions of two-three days for sure. Before going we will see clearly what will happen or what not. But for now, I am doing what I am told as I stay with this team, if I wouldn’t have been the coach then I would have been the manager,” he said.
Mahmud performed the role of interim coach of Bangladesh in 2017 when Chandika Hathurusingha left the job of Bangladesh team suddenly. Bangladesh played in the T20 series against Afghanistan under him.
He was the technical director of Bangladesh team in the Sri Lanka series and in the Tri-nation series in Bangladesh. He was the manager of Bangladesh in the Nidahas trophy and also the recently concluded World Cup.