More responsibility for Tigers without Hathurusingha, says interim coach

Chandika Hathurusingha's absence will make the Bangladesh players more responsible, according to interim coach Richard Halsall. Halsall, who has been Bangladesh's fielding and assistant coach since mid-2014, has been given the job after the BCB failed to appoint a new head coach before the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, reports ESPNCricinfo.

"I think Chandika's principal reason for leaving was that he thought that he cannot add any more to the players at the moment," Halsall said. "So I think that's a really good place for the players to be at, because Chandika not being here will give them more space to think and more responsibility.

"But Bangladesh is very lucky as they have got some excellent senior players like Shakib, Mashrafe, the two captains, and Mushfiqur, Mahmudullah and Tamim. These players now can be more involved. I think when you get older you become more responsible. That's exciting. I think it is another exciting step for that group of players."

There remains a lot of anticipation about Hathurusingha's return to Bangladesh as Sri Lanka's coach after his resignation in November.

"It won't be him we have to play against. It's the Sri Lanka players," Halsall said.