Hathurusinghe on the protests in Bangladesh: Hoping for Answers to the Students' Questions

Chandika Hathurusinghe is known for his tough demeanor as a coach. He is not one to sugarcoat things, whether it be to players, board officials, or journalists. This straightforward approach can sometimes come across as harsh or abrasive to some. However, in a surprising turn of events, on Monday in Rawalpindi, Hathurusinghe displayed a more compassionate and understanding side of himself.

After three routine questions, Hathurusinghe was asked about his feelings having been in Dhaka, a city shaken up by political unrest. He had arrived on the evening of August 2 when there was still a curfew and the country was tense. The following three days saw more violence as what began as student protests in July spilled over into something more tumultuous. Hathurusinghe stayed at the Amari hotel in Dhaka's Gulshan area. It is usually a quiet area but during the protests, every inch of Dhaka, including the posh ones, was in upheaval.

Hathurusinghe tried to answer the question with his usual straight-faced calm but was soon overwhelmed. He started to choke on his words and needed a few moments to gather himself. When asked what made him so emotional, he touched upon the losses sustained by the Bangladesh people.

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"I mean, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of those who lost their loved ones," Hathurusinghe said. "It was really hard… I think, I hope the students' questions will be answered. It was an unprecedented event. I hope that the country will come to normalcy soon. It was very difficult."

It is rare that Bangladesh cricketers and coaches engage in public with subjects outside of the game. They often keep their cards close to the chest. But the unrest back home has been significant. Indeed, Hathurusinghe said that he hopes that the Bangladesh team can bring some good news to a nation battered by political turmoil. "We know that sport has a real power to unite and give hope to the people," he said.

Hathurusinghe also said that he would be keen to continue as Bangladesh's head coach but would accept the BCB's decision if they ended his contract. He was appointed in February 2023 and is reportedly set to stay on until the end of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who hasn't been seen or heard from for the last two weeks, was Hathurusinghe's biggest backer.

"I don't know what's happening back home," he said. "I have signed a contract till whatever the date. I am looking forward to serve the term. If the board changes, and the new people want to make a change, I am okay with that. If they want to continue with me, I am happy to continue."

Bangladesh have five pacers in their squad but Taskin Ahmed will only be available for the second Test

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PCB

Hathurusinghe couldn't join training in Dhaka, which is why the BCB accepted the PCB's invitation for three extra days of training in Lahore ahead of the Test series. He said that they have brought a good, all-round team but it does look spin-heavy, especially when compared to the Pakistan side who have opted to go in with all-pace.

Hathurusinghe said that Bangladesh have enough depth in the pace department to make use of the conditions they will be getting when the first Test begins on Wednesday. "The Rawalpindi pitch looks more favourable for fast bowling and batting," he said. "They also didn't pick any spinners. Lately, we have developed a lot of good fast bowlers in our ranks as well. If the condition favours, they will do well. Shakib Al Hasan and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are two world-class allrounders. We have all our bases covered for whatever they throw at us."

Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Khaled Ahmed and Taskin Ahmed are the pacers in Bangladesh's squad, although Taskin will be available only for the second Test.

"The fast bowlers did well in the [T20] World Cup where they had favourable conditions. It hasn't happened overnight. It developed in the last two years. They have not played 20 Tests altogether, so they are young fast bowlers compared to the Pakistan attack. I am really excited to see how they continue," Hathurusinghe said.

Bangladesh's main concern is their batting, which has lost its way in the last 12 months. Their latest failure was at the T20 World Cup, in June, but Hathurusinghe believes that Pakistan's pitches could bring out the best in them.

"Batting has been a concern for a while, but not for one reason," he said. "We play in result-oriented wickets back home. Sometimes 250 is a winning score in those pitches. Obviously when you play on these pitches, the batters have a tough time. I hope the pitches in Pakistan generally favour batting. It is a good contest between bat and ball. We will show better result on these pitches."