The Bangladesh Cricket Board has identified Sourav Ganguly as their main choice to take up the position of batting coach for their national side. Speaking to the Indian Express in a recent interview, the BCB Chairman Mohammed Jalal Yunus expressed their desire to bring the former Indian player to coach their side.
“We want Sourav's assistance. He is hugely respected here and his skills and tactical nous will greatly help our batsmen,” he said.
The decision comes after Bangladeshi team’s failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2011 ICC World Cup. Missing out due to a poorer net run rate after finishing level on points with fourth place England, the side’s inconsistent batting performances were often identified as the main weakness.
Although inexperienced as a coach in any form, Ganguly was the Indian national side’s captain for quite some time and his tactical astuteness and skills are something that the Bangladeshi team will wish to take advantage of.
The Bangladeshi batting line-up has shown its ability on a few occasions with opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes impressing on the odd occasion, yet the fact that the rest of the side tend to collapse has been a major concern for the side.
No formal offer
Despite expressing an open interest in the former Indian player, the BCB are yet to approach the player with a formal offer and speculation is mounting whether any offer will be accepted by Ganguly.
The former captain snubbed an approach from the BCB last year, and it seems that a similar response is likely to follow.
Ganguly was put up for auction to the 10 teams that make up the IPL, yet he remained unsold. The exclusion was a factor that made him the BCB’s top target; however the fact that the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has recalled all its players who are playing in the IPL means that a window for Ganguly to return to the IPL has reopened.
The Sri Lankan players are to report back to their home nation on May 5, in order to prepare for their tour of England and this will mean that Ganguly may be able to join the Kochi Tuskers Kerala to replace Mahela Jayawardene in the side.
If this is to happen, then the slim chance of any offer from the BCB being accepted by Ganguly will further deteriorate, as it is likely the Indian player would be more willing to accept a consultancy role rather than a full time coaching job.
Meanwhile, another former Indian player is being lined up to take the post of the chief coach of Bangladesh, as Robin Singh seems set to replace Jamie Siddons.
