Khaled ready to step down as BCB director

DHAKA: Khaled Mahmud said on Sunday that he is ready to step down from the post of BCB director post if he is given the head coach role on a long-term basis, to avoid conflict of interest. Mahmud was appointed as team’s technical director during the tri-nation involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and the following bilateral series against Sri Lanka in 2017.BCB appointed Mahmud to guide the team following their former head coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s departure in the middle of his tenure to join the Sri Lankan side in the same capacity. Mahmud became the first director-cum-coach in world cricket, but that brought allegations of conflict of interest. Mahmud had said that he was not interested to continue as the team director of Bangladesh as the media criticised him for the dual role. After their 2019 World Cup came to an end in the league phase, Bangladesh parted ways with head coach Steve Rhodes, and now as per BCB sources, Mahmud is the front runner to fill the vacancy. “I am ready to step down as BCB director if the board offers me the [head coach] role on a long-term basis,” Mahmud told Cricbuzzon Sunday after conducting an intense batting session with Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Mithun at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.“Last time there was lot of talks regarding conflict of interest when I was appointed as the team director so I feel that if I am given the role of the head coach on long term basis it is better to step down as BCB director to avoid such criticism,” he said. “You cannot be a decision maker as well as be an employee of the board.” “When I am given the role of the head coach on long term basis I will certainly be an employee of the board and will be accountable to them. If I am also a director than that will become a problem. Coaching is my passion and for that I am willing to sacrifice a lot of things,” he said. Mahmud added that according to him the long term role implies until the next World Cup in 2023 or at least till the next World Twenty20 in 2020 because he feels that he will need some time to make his plans and execute them. BCB is expected to have a board meeting this month to decide on the way forward to fill the head coach’s role.