Ashraful axed as batting coach, Salahuddin takes over for West Indies Tests

Mohammad Ashraful was appointed Bangladesh’s part-time batting coach for the home series against Ireland in November last year. Impressed with his approach to the job, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to retain him with the national team. The former Bangladesh captain, who became the youngest Test centurion in history, was subsequently appointed batting coach in March this year.

Under the terms of his contract with the BCB, Ashraful was supposed to remain in the role until February 2027.

During his tenure, Bangladesh won consecutive home ODI series against Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. The team also climbed to fourth in the standings in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. Under Najmul Hossain Shanto’s leadership, Bangladesh whitewashed Ireland and Pakistan in home Test series and achieved a memorable victory over Australia on their own turf.

However, Bangladesh’s disappointing batting performances during their recent tours of Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates have cost Ashraful his position.

Facing mounting criticism over the batters’ failures, the BCB has dropped Ashraful from the coaching staff for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. Mohammad Salahuddin, head coach of the BCB’s High Performance, has been appointed interim batting coach in his place.

Although Ashraful has been removed from the batting coach’s role, he will continue to serve the BCB in another capacity until his contract expires, a responsible source at the board confirmed.