Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended from his role as the head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team.

Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended as head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, as announced by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed in Mirpur today. "We have issued a show-cause notice and suspended him from his duties as head coach," Faruque said during a press conference. He added that Hathurusingha must respond within 48 hours, with the suspension taking immediate effect. Following this, his contract will be formally terminated.

Phil Simmons has been appointed as the interim head coach for the upcoming series against South Africa, the UAE, West Indies, and the ICC Champions Trophy. Hathurusingha began his second stint as Bangladesh's head coach in January 2023, signing a two-year contract. While the team had initial success under his leadership—winning a T20I series against England and securing victories in both home and away series against Ireland—his position was weakened due to his passive role in the Shakib-Tamim conflict just before the ODI World Cup. The saga resulted in Tamim's exclusion from the squad, and Bangladesh’s eighth-place finish further intensified calls for his removal.

Although Hathurusingha briefly retained his position after winning a home Test against New Zealand and securing victories in an ODI and T20I during the New Zealand tour, subsequent losses—including a T20I series defeat to the USA—again placed his job in jeopardy. However, leading Bangladesh to the Super 12s in the T20 World Cup bought him more time.

Once Faruque Ahmed, a vocal critic of Hathurusingha, became BCB president, it seemed inevitable that the coach would be dismissed. Despite Bangladesh's historic 2-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan, heavy losses to India in Tests and T20Is sealed Hathurusingha's fate.

Hathurusingha's first stint as Bangladesh's head coach (2014-2017) saw the team reach the quarterfinals of the 2015 ODI World Cup, the semifinals of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, and achieve notable series wins against India, Pakistan, and South Africa.