The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Monday that newly appointed assistant coach Malibongwe Maketa will take charge of the team’s fielding unit during the upcoming tour of South Africa. Maketa assumes the role previously held by interim coach Ashiqur Rahman, who is slated to join the Bangladesh A side as they prepare for the Rising Stars Emerging Cup in Qatar.
Alongside the changes to the fielding staff, the BCB announced that former South African all-rounder Dale Benkenstein has been recruited as a batting specialist. He is set to work with the national team across all three formats during the tour. This shift in coaching personnel comes as the board continues to navigate its leadership structure following recent changes in the batting department, which saw Mohammad Ashraful removed from his position and reassigned to the Bangladesh A coaching setup.
Mohammad Salahuddin, who served as an interim batting coach during the recent home series against the West Indies, will return to his previous role as head coach of the High Performance Unit. BCB officials noted that the transition allows Salahuddin to refocus his attention on developing talent within the HP unit while the board continues its search for a permanent batting coach for the national team. The previous fielding coach, Ashiqur, had stepped in during the Pakistan tour after James Pamment left the position due to back issues, a move followed by a mutual agreement to part ways.
The Bangladesh squad is scheduled to depart for South Africa across November 10 and 11. The international tour kicks off with the first Test in Johannesburg on November 15, followed by the second Test in Centurion starting on November 23. The two-Test series will conclude with a stretch of three ODIs and three T20Is.
