Ashraful axed as Bangladesh's batting coach
BCB High Performance Unit’s head coach Mohammad Salahuddin will replace Ashraful on an interim-basis
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has axed batting coach Mohammad Ashraful from the national team set-up ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies, scheduled to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from October 28.
Cricbuzz understands Ashraful was informed about the move by BCB cricket operation with the former player leaving the national players' Whatsapp group stating 'Thank You' on Saturday(October 24).
Later, Ashraful confirmed the development to Cricbuzz that he is no longer working with the national cricket team. “Yes, I am not working with the national team,” said Ashraful, who had a training session with the national cricketers ahead of the series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
“I am waiting for my next assignment,” he said.
It was learnt that the BCB High Performance Unit’s head coach Mohammad Salahuddin will replace Ashraful on an interim-basis during the home series against West Indies. “We are in discussion with some foreign batting coaches,” said a BCB official.
During Ashraful's tenure as batting coach, Bangladesh won five Test matches out of eight Tests while drawing one and losing the remaining two. The decision comes off of a spree of dismal batting displays in the Asian Games in Japan and the Tri-nation series in Abu Dhabi.
Ashraful's tenure began in November 2025 and brought several notable results. Bangladesh swept Ireland 2-0 in Tests and beat Pakistan by the same margin in May, when Mushfiqur Rahim was player of the series with 253 runs, including a national-record 14th Test hundred.
They also won their first men's ODI series against Australia in June, taking it 2-1, after beating Pakistan 2-1 in March. Results were mixed elsewhere. Bangladesh drew the Test series against Australia 1-1 in August, winning in Darwin before being bowled out for 64 and beaten inside two days in Mackay. Australia also won the T20I series 3-0 in June.
Recent form was fairly uneven which might have eventually prompted the board high-up to remove him. Bangladesh scored 11 centuries in 34 internationals between November 2025 and October 2026, which will be seen as a significant accomplishment.
