Pybus once more?

Richard Pybus arrived in Dhaka last evening with an interest in filling the position of head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team for the second time after Sri Lankan Chandika Hathurusingha resigned from the post.

The 53-year old England-born coach, who had left the Bangladesh job in October 2012 after serving for only four months, saying that the interference of the then AHM Mustafa Kamal-led board and the terms of his contract made his position untenable, went to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur soon after his arrival.

He met with BCB high-ups, including president Nazmul Hassan, at the home of Bangladesh cricket in Mirpur.

"He [Pybus] just made a courtesy call with our president tonight. He is one of the candidates on the shortlist. We are in no hurry because we want someone for the long term. He will give his presentation tomorrow and then we will discuss the terms and conditions in detail," said BCB director Jalal Yunus.

Board insiders however informed that although they have some other candidates in the list, including former West Indies coach Phil Simmons, Pybus has a good chance of getting the nod despite the earlier bitterness with the Kamal-led board.

The arrival of Pybus indicates that the board is desperately looking to appoint a permanent coach, rather than go for an interim local coach, before the next home series against Sri Lanka in January 2018 after the escalation of debate relating to the conflicts of interest surrounding probable local candidate Khaled Mahmud.  The board was also eager to sign a contract with someone who will continue till the 2019 ICC World Cup in England.

During Pybus's short tenure, the Tigers played a series of unofficial matches in Zimbabwe and Trinidad, and won a three-match Twenty20 series against Ireland but they also lost to Scotland, won and lost against Netherlands, and crashed out of the 2012 World Twenty20 by losing to New Zealand and Pakistan in the first round.

Pybus had returned to South Africa from Sri Lanka after the World Twenty20 and despite numerous email exchanges with the BCB, the two parties could not reach a consensus, leading to then bowling coach Shane Jurgensen taking the reins.

Pybus had then served as the director of cricket for the West Indies Cricket Board, before an abortive effort to become coach of the Indian cricket team.

Hathurusingha left the job in almost the same fashion during Bangladesh's tour of South Africa but, unlike Pybus, did not publicly explain his decision to resign. BCB was still searching for the exact reason behind the Sri Lankan's resignation even as he is set to take over as the head coach of Sri Lanka cricket team.