19 years on, BD bury hatchet with ex-coach Greenidge

DHAKA: Bangladesh have finally buried the hatchet with West Indies batting great Gordon Greenidge -- nearly two decades after unceremoniously sacking him as head coach in the middle of the 1999 World Cup.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board hosted a reception for Greenidge late Monday in Dhaka, reuniting the coach with his former players and the executives who dumped him. Greenidge led Bangladesh to the ICC Trophy title in Malaysia in 1997, and also steered the cricket minnows to their first World Cup.

He was awarded honorary citizenship of Bangladesh in recognition of his achievements. But his relationship with cricket officials soured after he opposed Bangladesh´s bid for Test status, a move he considered premature.

Greenidge, who was sacked as Bangladesh prepared to play Pakistan in a World Cup fixture in England in 1999, had returned to Bangladesh just once since his sudden exit -- until Monday´s function. "The parting was disappointing. I would have liked to spend more time with Bangladesh cricket, but it wasn´t to be. I have no ills. But these things happen," Greenidge told reporters at the reception. Members of the squad he steered to victory in the ICC Trophy swapped stories with their old coach at the function. Greenidge said he hoped the frostiness was resigned to the past.