Khaled Mahmud Sujon has resigned from the post of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event in Kolkata, the former India captain acknowledged Bangladesh’s impressive triumph in Pakistan, a 2-0 series win that has helped them climb to fourth in the ICC World Test Championship standings.

After the successful Pakistan tour, the programme's value has finally come to the limelight, especially in how players talked about the benefits of their preparation.

South African fast bowling legend Allan Donald has been heavily credited for his role in Bangladesh’s pace revolution during his tenure as the team’s pace bowling coach from March 2022 to November 2023. The 57-year-old, who resigned after the ICC World Cup in India, is still a big supporter of the Tigers and keeps in touch with the Bangladesh pacers. On Monday, Donald spoke with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan over the phone from Johannesburg, where he expressed immense pleasure at seeing his former pupils doing so well in Pakistan. Here are the excerpts:

We can have a national cricket team who can do it all. The win in Rawalpindi is an indication of it.

After the win in Rawalpindi, Mushfiqur Rahim paid tribute to the local staff who prepared them in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram.

“Your services are no longer required. Thank you for your contributions.” This was the undeserved message handed to the Caribbean giant who brought the ICC Trophy to Bangladesh in 1997, which catapulted the country into the 1999 World Cup.

A legal notice has been served to BCB, asking it to remove the all-rounder -- currently playing the first Test against Pakistan -- from the national cricket team as he is an accused in a murder case.

Bangladesh batters Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das hit fifties to propel the Tigers to 306 for five in the final session of Day Three of the Rawalpindi Test against Pakistan on Friday. 

New Zealand ‘A’ were scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 28.

Bangladesh will certainly take heart from their short vigil at the crease on the day but will be knowing full well that any slip in concentration can prove disastrous.

The Youth and Sports Adviser has also asked BCB to explore the possibility of appointing an interim board president under ICC’s framework.

It remains unclear whether Shakib's political identity would impact his selection in the national team.

According to sources, Saifuddin’s recent letter to BCB has irked the selectors as the cricketer had also skipped the Bangladesh Tigers’ majority practice sessions in Sylhet and Chattogram last month.

“He wants to play Tests, and we will talk to the medical team,” a member of the selection panel told The Daily Star.

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in constant communication with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the A team’s tour," said the BCB in their statement.

The team for the Pakistan series is yet to be announced but a probable contingent of players were set to begin skill training under head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and other coaching staff on Sunday. But practice had to be cancelled due to the ongoing unrest.

Bangladesh A will fly to Pakistan on August 6.

Bangladesh Cricket Board announced separate squads for its forthcoming Pakistan tour.

“I agree that his [Hathurusingha] man management style and communication is totally different. His biggest problem is his difficulty in adjusting to our country’s culture,” the BCB president said on Hathurusingha, whose contract will run till the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.