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Bangladesh confident of keeping coach

Board addresses speculation Chandika Hathurusingha could be lured by native Sri Lanka to fill their head coach vacancy

Bangladesh’s cricket authorities expressed confidence Sunday that national head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will see out his contract despite interest from his native Sri Lanka.

"Anyone can want him as coach, but we have not spoken to him about (Sri Lanka)," Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhaka.

"We have a contract with him until World Cup 2019. We are confident he will stay up to that period," he said.

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His comments came after Sri Lankan media revealed that Sri Lanka Cricket are in "discussion" with the former opening batsman to take over the side following the resignation of South African Graham Ford.

Ford stepped down in late June, half way through a 45-month contract and just two weeks after the team's early exit from the Champions Trophy.

Fielding coach Nic Pothas is in interim charge of the team that is currently playing a home series against Zimbabwe.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief Thilanga Sumathipala said Pothas was being considered for promotion to permanent head coach while the cricket board has had several other expressions of interest over the job.

Those interested in the high-profile position included "Sri Lankans," he told AFP last week.



Hathurusingha, who played 26 Tests and 35 one-day internationals for Sri Lanka in the 1990s, was an assistant coach at the NSW Blues from 2011 until his appointment as Tigers head coach in May 2014.

He was also head coach of the Blues on an interim basis when Anthony Stuart was sacked midway through the 2012-13 season, and was the Thunder's head coach during BBL|03.

Under Hathurusingha, Bangladesh has made big strides in world cricket and reached the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy tournament in England.

Meanwhile, a 16-man BCB High Performance squad has arrived in Darwin for a fortnight-long training camp in the Top End.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das has been named captain for the tour that will see the Bangladeshis play five one-day matches and a three-day game against local teams at Marrara Oval

BCB HP Squad: Anamul Haque, Mohammad Saifuddin, Litton Das (captain), Tanvir Haider, Mehidi Hasan Siddiqui, Imtiaz Hossain, Abu Hider, Abu Jayed, Nazmul Hossain (vice-captain), Ebadot Hossain, Tasamul Haque, Abul Hasan, Irfan Shukkur, Yasir Ali, Nihaduzzaman and Jubair Hossain.