Steve Rhodes confirmed as Bangladesh head coach
Bangladesh have confirmed the appointment of Steve Rhodes as the new men’s team head coach.
The former England wicket-keeper/batsman takes over eight months after Chandika Hathurusingha's unexpected resignation in October 2017 and will be contracted until the end of the World T20 in 2020.
“I am very excited and looking forward to starting my work with an extremely talented group of cricketers," said Rhodes. “I have had the opportunity to experience first-hand the quality of this Bangladesh side when I was here with the England team in 2016.
"I have also followed their performance in the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales last year where they proved that they could adapt to any condition by making it to the semifinals.
“There is plenty of potential in Bangladesh cricket and I hope to contribute with my experience and skills in bringing the best out of this team and make them better. Obviously, coaching an international cricket side is demanding and hard but that is a challenge I am eager to take."
Since Hathurusingha's departure to take over as head coach of his native Sri Lanka, Bangladesh have been without a permanent head coach, with Courtney Walsh, primarily appointed as a bowling coach, taking charge in the interim during a tricky period for the Tigers.
During a 23-year professional career, Rhodes played 11 Tests and nine ODIs for England, while enjoying a successful county career with Yorkshire and Worcestershire.
In recent years it is as director of cricket at Worcestershire, a role he occupied from 2006, that he has become most respected, developing a young, homegrown squad and being used by the ECB as a development coach.
His long tenure at Worcestershire ended in controversial circumstances last year when he was sacked after failing to report the arrest and charge of one of his players. When the matter was investigated he was removed by Worcestershire and as head coach of England’s team for the Under 19 World Cup.
Well used to underdog status and to working hard to improve a relatively small pool of players at Worcestershire, Rhodes may feel he is ideally suited to the task as he begins his new challenge.