Allan Donald is all set to vacate his post as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach following the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, the South African pace legend said he had initially considered a one-year extension to his contract but now wants to give more time to his family back home.
This development comes in the wake of Donald's public criticism of Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews’ timed-out dismissal against Bangladesh in Delhi on November 6.
Bangladesh are already out of the World Cup semi-final race and will play Australia in their last league match in Pune on Saturday (November 11).
"During the World Cup, I was the first one to accept a contract verbally. I didn't sign a contract but I was ready to go back to Dhaka to sign the contract for a year's extension. I was excited to crack on and see how we can expand this fast-bowling group even further,” Donald told ESPNcricinfo on Friday (November 10).
"I have had time in the World Cup to reflect on that. My immediate thought was that 12 months looks like a long time. The schedule looks very hectic. I'd better start thinking about my family. I got a two-year-old grandson who I miss dearly. I have been away for 82 days on the bounce. I think it got to me a little bit," he added.
Donald was roped in as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach in March 2022. Under his guidance, the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Ebadot Hossain and the young Tanzim Hasan have shown significant improvements.
"I am overwhelmed by how popular this fast-bowling group has become. The support for me was touching," Donald said.
"I wish Bangladesh all the best. I will follow their progress in the coming months and years, see how they go. I have become good friends with this fast-bowling group, and not just the young quicks, who were plucked off the shelves. We just don't go and do the business. I am really in awe of how they have progressed and accepted a mindset in all formats that has given them something to shout about, for other teams to take note of what they have achieved, how they conduct themselves on the field.
"I am really proud of them. Whoever takes care of them from now, all I know is that I have left them in a good space with a good platform to work from. It is basically time for me to get home and be a dad, husband and grandfather."
For Donald, the biggest positive among the Bangladeshi quicks has been the awareness about fitness, especially in the longest format of the game.
"I quickly realised that it is a highly-skilled group from the first meeting in Pretoria [in 2022]. They just needed nurturing, guidance, patience and understanding. The understanding of our game management, especially in the Test-match arena, is our biggest progress,” Donald said.
"I think the processes that I brought into place in the Test matches - mindset, strategy, tactics, awareness, creativity - I think it was the single-biggest improvement in the Test-match arena, our willingness to be the fittest bowling attack.
"For me, it was eat, sleep, repeat. I didn't bring anything that the game hasn't coughed up. I kept it really basic and simple. I think our weekly catch-ups as a group - once for a coffee, sometimes over lunch, just to see how the guys are traveling mentally - was significant. All those meetings had small little margins, goals and learnings that we take forward,” he remarked.
Donald has also promised the Bangladesh fast bowlers that he will stay in touch with them through WhatsApp.
"I told them yesterday that, you know, I have been on so many WhatsApp groups. The moment you leave an organisation or a team, you detach yourself from that group. I told them that I will keep that group running. Whenever the players feel like they want to chat, they can WhatsApp me. We can do a group chat. That's why I said I wanted to keep in touch with them. Whether it is just a light-hearted discussion or a chat about cricket."
(ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
