Cricket
Mohammad Isam, Bangladesh correspondent, ESPNcricinfo 3y

BCB wants Ashwell Prince to stay on as batting consultant until T20 World Cup

Cricket

The BCB wants to extend former South Africa batter Ashwell Prince's contract as batting consultant up to this year's T20 World Cup. ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that Prince is yet to agree to the BCB's new offer.

Prince was initially roped in only for Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe, which concluded on Sunday, with the understanding that he would return to coaching the South African domestic side Cape Cobras.

According to Akram Khan, the BCB's cricket operations chairman, the BCB remains satisfied with Prince's work in Zimbabwe after having received positive feedback from some of the players during the tour.

"We had appointed him for the Zimbabwe series initially," Khan said. "Since it will be hard to get a coach before the T20 World Cup, we took a bit of feedback and it has been generally positive. I think some of our batsmen did really well in Zimbabwe. Some of the players told us that they have confidence in him. They are satisfied with his work.

"So we plan to go ahead with him. We can confirm that he is with us till the T20 World Cup. We will take on a decision on his further involvement (after the World Cup) over the course of the next week."

ESPNcricinfo has learned, however, that negotiations between the BCB and Prince are still ongoing, contrary to Khan's statement.

After the first day's play during Bangladesh's one-off Test in Zimbabwe, at the end of which wicketkeeper-batter Liton Das had scored 95, Prince hailed Das for breaking through the concentration barrier, following which Das too acknowledged Prince's contribution just before play began the next day.

Shortly after taking the role, Prince had said that since his job was only restricted to one tour, he would look to stay out of the way of the batters and instead only look to help out Russell Domingo, the head coach.

Prince had joined the Bangladesh coaching staff alongside former Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath, who was appointed spin-bowling coach until the T20 World Cup. Prince's potential extension gives Bangladesh's coaches some stability going into a busy season, which includes T20Is against Australia, England and New Zealand, and culminates with the T20 World Cup that begins in mid-October.

GMT 1645 The story was amended when ESPNcricinfo learned that Prince was yet to accept the BCB's offer.

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