Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has been appointed as the specialist batting coach of the national team for the upcoming home series against Ireland later this month.
The decision was announced following Monday’s board of directors meeting at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Former national selector Abdur Razzak has also been named team director for the series.
“Ashraful has the experience, that’s a given. He has already completed his coaching courses, and his experience was the key factor for us in this role,” Razzak told reporters after the meeting.
Questions were raised about whether senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin was being replaced as batting coach. Razzak clarified that was not the case.
“Salahuddin bhai is the senior assistant coach. No one has been displaced because of failure. Ashraful has been included in the setup,” he said when asked if the move was a response to the team’s recent batting struggles.
Ashraful’s appointment is currently limited to the Ireland series. “We will take a decision as a board going forward,” Razzak added when asked if Ashraful would continue in the role beyond the series.
Discussing his own appointment, Razzak said his role as team director would be one of oversight and support.
“My role will be like any other team director’s role. I will observe, keep an eye on things, and provide help whenever needed,” he said. “The cricket board felt that having a team director could help the side. It’s not a new position, but in recent times there wasn’t much director presence with the team since there were no directors on the board.”
Meanwhile, the BCB announced that the daily allowance for female cricketers has been increased from 50 USD to 75 USD, while their monthly salaries have been raised by 35 percent.
