B’desh asks Ruwan Kalpage to report to work at once

Friday, 12 August 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: The BCB has asked Ruwan Kalpage, the Bangladesh Assistant Coach, to report to work in Dhaka immediately, according to Chief Executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Kalpage is the only member of the Bangladesh support staff not to have returned to work this month after the national team’s downtime. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Kalpage told the BCB last week that he had safety concerns and wanted to observe the situation from Sri Lanka.

“He [Ruwan Kalpage] told us that he wants to take time, but we have told him to join immediately,” Chowdhury said. “All the Bangladesh coaching staff have already joined work. We feel that his claim isn’t the right assessment of the situation.”

Kalpage didn’t respond to ESPNcricinfo when contacted in Sri Lanka. Earlier this week, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, fielding coach Richard Halsall, and strength and conditioning coach Mario Villavarayan returned to Dhaka. There were similar concerns among these coaches too, but the BCB allayed their fears by giving them extra security. Halsall said on Monday that the BCB helped them in their return to Bangladesh where he feels security has become better.

Hathurusingha said that Kalpage will take a decision about his position. “I think he has spoken to the board.I have spoken to him. He will make that decision very soon,” he said. Kalpage joined in July 2014, soon after Hathurusingha’s appointment, and was recently given an extension till the 2019 World Cup like the rest of the foreign coaching staff.

He previously had a stint in Bangladesh between March 2008 and April 2010 as the National Cricket Academy’s head coach.