Bangladesh appoints former Indian spinner as technical consultant for ODI World Cup

Former Indian spinner Sridharan Sriram is set to step into the role of technical consultant for the Bangladesh cricket team during the upcoming World Cup in India, as officially confirmed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday.

Sriram, who donned the Indian jersey in eight one-day internationals (ODIs) between 2000 and 2004, will make his presence felt when he joins the team in Guwahati for practice matches against Sri Lanka and England, geared towards preparing for the highly anticipated 50-over tournament.

Bangladesh’s quest for World Cup glory is slated to kick off on October 7 against Afghanistan in Dharamsala, with the tournament’s culmination scheduled for November 19.

Sriram’s previous contributions as a technical consultant for Bangladesh encompassed the Twenty20-format Asia Cup held in the UAE and the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia last year. In addition to his international cricket experience, Sriram boasts an illustrious first-class career spanning nearly 18 years. He also took on the role of consultant coach for Cricket Australia from 2015 to 2018 and served as an assistant coach to the Australian national team for the subsequent four years.

The coaching ensemble for the Bangladesh team is spearheaded by former Sri Lankan opener Chandika Hathurusingha and includes the likes of former South African pace ace Allan Donald and Rangana Herath, a former Sri Lankan spin wizard.