Bangladesh’s cricket authorities said on Tuesday they are still in talks with former South African batsman Gary Kirsten to take the role of their Team Consultant for a long-term period.
Bangladesh had been looking for a head coach for the national cricket team since October when the position fell vacant after former Sri Lankan opener Chandika Hathurusingha stepped down.
But Bangladesh Cricket Board media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said they had offered Kirsten, who won the World Cup in 2011 with India, a different role unlike that of a head coach.
‘He [Kristen] is in our list but he will come only as Team Consultant. It’s not full and final though. Hopefully we will be able to strike a deal after the Indian Premier League,’ Jalal told reporters in Dhaka.
Kirsten, who represented South Africa in 101 Tests and 185 one-day internationals before coaching the Proteas and India, will be in-charge of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, which begins on April 7.
‘If he agrees he will work with also Under-19, ‘A’ team and about cricket structure,’ he said.
The BCB official added that they will appoint a separate head coach for the national team even if reached an agreement with Kirsten.
‘He will not be always with the team, he will deal with separate issues, give us advice on structure, work with development squads, like what Eddie Barlow did. He [Kirsten] will give advice but there will be a head coach,’ he said.
Late South African great Barlow was Bangladesh’s coaching director at the time the country was elevated as Test nation in 2000.
Former West Indies great Courtney Walsh acted as Bangladesh’s head coach during recent Nidahas Trophy triangular Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, where they narrowly lost to India in the final.
‘We are trying to appoint a coach before our West Indies tour in June. We spoke to some candidates but a few of them could not fulfil the criteria that we set. This is why there a delay,’ he said.
Jalal revealed that they are also in talks with former South African batsman Neil McKenzie as batting consultant.
Bangladesh are also without an assistant coach at the moment after the resignation of Zimbabwean-born Richard Halsall.
-new age
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