The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed South African Malibongwe Maketa as the assistant coach of the men’s national team. The appointment is confirmed on a two-year contract running from October 2026 to November 2028, with Maketa succeeding Mohammad Salahuddin in the senior coaching staff.
Maketa expressed his commitment to the role and the upcoming cycle. “I am pleased to accept the position of assistant coach with the Bangladesh national team,” Maketa said. “I am truly grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and I look forward to contributing positively to the team’s success.”
The vacancy in the senior setup followed the redeployment of Mohammad Salahuddin. Although Salahuddin was previously expected to remain with the senior team until the 2027 World Cup, he has transitioned to head the BCB’s High Performance (HP) Unit. This move follows a restructuring of the board’s development pipeline, including the merger of the ‘Bangladesh Tigers’ program into the HP Unit.
Working under head coach Phil Simmons, Maketa highlighted the potential of the current squad. “We have a young and exciting team, and I am looking forward to working alongside Phil and the rest of the coaching staff to help bring out the best in the players,” he added.
The first assignment for the coaching staff is the upcoming series in the United Arab Emirates. Bangladesh will play a one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from October 9–13. This will be followed by an ODI tri-series featuring Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from October 17–23. The first group of the Bangladesh squad departed for the UAE on October 1.
Analysis of the appointment suggests the timing is strategically aligned with the team’s upcoming schedule in Africa. With a tour of South Africa scheduled for November 2026 and the 2027 World Cup co-hosted by South Africa, Maketa’s knowledge of local conditions in the region is viewed as a significant factor in the BCB’s decision. The board has not yet confirmed how the new structure affects other technical roles, such as that of batting coach Mohammad Ashraful.
