Bangladesh Tigers hire Samaraweera as batting guru

Bangladesh on Friday named former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera as their batting consultant for next month's home series against England.

Samaraweera's appointment came a day after former West Indies great Courtney Walsh agreed a three-year term to become the specialist pace bowling coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that the board was in the process of appointing more coaching staff ahead of a flurry of international cricket, including a tour to New Zealand in December-January and a maiden test in India in February.

"We have confirmed the service of Samaraweera as our batting consultant for England series," Hassan told reporters.

"Fielding coach Richard Halsall will now work as the assistant coach. We are also looking for a spin bowling coach."

Bangladesh recently terminated the contract of the national team's Sri Lankan assistant coach Ruwan Kalpage, after he failed to turn up for a training camp.

England will arrive in Dhaka on 30 September to play two tests and three one-day internationals.

The tour was called into question after an attack on a Dhaka cafe in July in which 20 hostages were killed, including 18 foreigners.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board said last week that the tour would go ahead as planned.