Published: Feb 22, 2018, 12:43 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 22, 2018, 12:43 AM (IST)
Chandika Hathurusingha stirred many controversies after admitting to the fact that coaching Bangladesh before helped him plan Sri Lanka‘s strategies better. In turn, this means, Hathurusingha had to reveal to his current team the inside information of the Bangladesh cricketers, which upset few Bangladesh officials. However, Hathurusingha believes there is nothing wrong in what he did as a coach and his peers, Richard Pybus, Paul Farbrace and Jamie Siddons have taken Hathurusingha’s side in the case. Bangladesh had additionally appealed for a ‘cooling off’ period for the coaches in between swapping camps.
Pybus, who had earlier coached Bangladesh, told Pakistan Observer, “You can’t have a cooling off period, it’s professional sport. The game is fundamentally based on strategy, all the coaches have access to the same game analysis info, so it’s what they do with the analysis that is important. He obviously prepared them well and the players delivered”.
Siddons, too, has experience of working with Bangladesh team and said, “It is how a coach makes his living, it is just part of the game, I don’t think a coach would know much more than the opposition do already anyway, players are analysed and scrutinised so well now that the weaknesses are already known. A coach cannot be denied the chance to improve his position by moving on to other jobs when they arise!”.
While Farbace, former Sri Lanka coach and current England coach opined,“I don’t think it makes that much difference with do much information available on opposition players. Players playing in franchise tournaments with players from other countries”. “Of course Hathu would have good knowledge on pitches and players but SL and Bangladesh have played each other so much the players would know the information as well. Bangladesh are a very good team and Hathu did a good job with them. Bangladesh cricket is working very hard across the board to improve in all areas”.
