Drama, misrepresentation and culture of coaches’ ungainly exit

Bangladesh practiced at ICC Academy in Dubai yesterday, hoping to get a good feel of their new way of doing things under newly-appointed technical consultant Sridharan Sriram and acclimatising to the conditions in the UAE.

However, back in their country, further questions were popping up about coach Russell Domingo's future with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after news spread in the morning yesterday that Domingo had decided to end his tenure with the BCB.

The precedent, and the stage for the ensuing drama, was set when BCB said they would ask Domingo regarding some comments he made to the media recently.

Domingo had spoken about the environment in the dressing room and interference from BCB.

During an interview with The Daily Star, Domingo said: "I definitely feel there is a lot of talk, speculation and criticism around the team that gets into the media which sometimes can be avoided. I feel the players are trying their best. Constant scrutiny of the team, players and management at times can add to the pressure and the negativity around the team and it's something that Bangladesh as a nation, whether it's the public, the media or the board, need to get a little better at."

His recent discussions with the media in interviews also delved into the relationship he has with seniors and how board directors routinely criticise players.

The BCB did not take any of those remarks lightly.

"We have to look into it. I think the board should send him a letter to explain what he meant by those statements [to the media]. If he explains to us, we will know where the problem lies," cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus told the media on Wednesday.

Although Domingo was not going to get a show-cause notice from the board, Jalal said certain remarks were 'unexpected' and that BCB higher-ups would sit down to discuss the issue.

After news arrived on Thursday that Domingo had said in an interview that his time at BCB 'is done', this newspaper reached out to the head coach to clarify his future.

Domingo informed The Daily Star that his tenure coming to an end was 'fake news'.

The BCB confirmed yesterday amidst the drama that Domingo had not resigned and that there was a miscommunication.

"We spoke to him and there was a miscommunication. The ultimate thing is that he has not resigned and nothing of that sort came up," BCB CEO Nizamuddin told reporters yesterday.

"I am not saying all the information [in the media] was wrong. I am saying that according to him, some of it was wrong. The way he said it, the issue did not come up like that. Not all of it but some aspects [regarding resignation] were misrepresentation," Nizamuddin said.

Amidst that backdrop, Domingo's future remains unstable, especially with the BCB having excluded him from the T20 setup right before the Asia Cup.

Coaches in Bangladesh have a manner of leaving their jobs the wrong way. Meanwhile, it leaves a bad precedent for Sriram to continue into, leaving question marks over how much he will be allowed to do the job he has been brought in for.