The Ireland cricket team is set to tour Bangladesh, and during this series, Mohammad Ashraful has been appointed as the batting coach for the Bangladesh team. Former cricketer, BCB director, and head of the women’s cricket division, Abdur Razzak, will assume the role of team director for the series.
This decision was made at a meeting of the BCB’s Board of Directors. After the meeting, BCB director and media committee head, Amjad Hossain, addressed the press, stating, “We’ve assessed where additional support is needed, and it was felt that a specialist batting coach was required. This appointment for the Ireland series will remain in place for now, and further decisions will be made before the next World Cup.”
Explaining the reasoning behind Ashraful’s appointment, Abdur Razzak remarked, “Ashraful has considerable experience, and he has already completed a coaching course. It is primarily his experience that has played a significant role in this decision.”
Former Bangladesh captain and BCB director Khaled Masud Pilot has expressed a positive outlook on the matter. He said, “Ashraful’s century on his Test debut in 1997 marked the beginning of Bangladesh’s international cricket journey, showing the world that this country had a player to reckon with. He has completed the Level 3 coaching course and has a wealth of experience. It is a remarkable career, and the board might have considered this when making their decision.”
Pilot continued, “By involving Ashraful, we hope to leverage his playing experience. Our players have made several tactical errors, and Ashraful’s inclusion could be a significant support in correcting those. He has played several major innings for Bangladesh, even when we were considered underdogs. He scored centuries against top teams like India and Sri Lanka during that time.”
Ireland will play two Tests and three T20 matches on their tour of Bangladesh. Ashraful will be the coach for this series, which will begin with the first Test on 11th November. After the first Test in Sylhet, the second Test will start in Mirpur on 19th November. The first two T20 matches will be held in Chattogram on 27th and 29th November, with the final T20 match taking place in Mirpur on 2nd December.
This expanded version retains the key details and includes more context around Ashraful’s appointment, as well as the upcoming series schedule.