Former Tigers skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has said the Bangladesh team management at present resembles a rehabilitation centre for South African coaches out of a job.

Mashrafe made the statement on social media after Bangladesh lost their first Super 12s encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka by five wickets, from a good position. It was one of the matches that Bangladesh had aimed at to pave their way to the semi-finals.

“The current team management looks like a rehab centre for all the South African coaches out of a job to rehabilitate themselves by working,” Mashrafe wrote on his social media handle. “Sacking them is another problem because then you have to pay off the remaining amount in their contract. So as things stand, they can do as they wish as long as they are here.”

Mashrafe backed Mahmudullah Riyad, the current captain of the Bangladesh T20 team who has faced criticism for his decisions in the match that Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka. According to Mashrafe, despite the fact that the captain is the ultimate decisionmaker of a cricket team, the coaches also have something to say when a captain struggles to make a crucial decision.

“I agree that the captain makes the final call in the field,” he wrote. “But doesn’t the coach discuss with the captain the crunch moments of a match? A captain can be under different types of pressure in a nervy moment of a match. Did our coach ask the captain what is his plan?”

Read: ‘Heart destroyed seeing two defeats yesterday’: Mashrafe

Mashrafe also stood by Liton Das, who faced a tremendous backlash as well for his sloppy fielding dropping two easy catches in the match against Sri Lanka. The batters, who got a life after Liton missed the two catches, sealed the game for the Lankans.

“There should be no excuse for Liton’s bad fielding. I think Liton will also not give an excuse for his misses. It’s part of the game. But did we ask the fielding coach (Ryan Cook) why we miss catches? After the World Cup 2019, every member of the Bangladesh coaching set-up lost their job except this fielding coach. Did we become the best fielding side in the world?” Mashrafe added.

Mashrafe also questioned why the head coach Russell Domingo doesn't step up to defend the team like he does for the coaching staff. "Why don't Tamim, Mushfiq, Riyad stay well? Isn't it his (Domingo) job to address this?"

The Bangladesh team's coaching staff at present consists of three South Africans: Russell Domingo (head coach), Ashwell Prince (batting coach) and Ryan Cook (fielding coach). Bowling coach Ottis Gibson is a West Indian from Barbados, but his last job was also as coach of South Africa.

Gibson on Tuesday refused to be drawn into a direct response to Mashrafe.

Read: Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017

“That doesn’t interest or concern me, whatever anyone outside of our circle is saying. We can’t control what people are saying on social media,” Gibson told reporters on Tuesday when he was asked about Mashrafe’s comments.

“We can only control what is being said in and around the group. We know what we do as a coaching group here,” he added.

Bangladesh will take on England on Wednesday in their second Super 12s match. The Tigers have to win at least three matches in order to book a place in the Semi-finals stage of the World Cup for the first time.