The management terminated Bond’s contract midway through his two-year agreement, which was originally set to run through the 2027 season following his appointment last November as Daniel Vettori's successor. Birmingham Phoenix opened their 2026 campaign with a victory before suffering seven consecutive defeats to finish eighth in the table with just 4 points and a net run rate of -1.318. While key player injuries—including captain Jacob Bethell and Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman—and underperformances from Rehan Ahmed, Donovan Ferreira, Mitchell Owen, and Saqib Mahmood severely impacted the squad, off-field friction hastened Bond's exit. Reports confirm escalating dressing-room tensions, with Bond losing support among players and coaching staff while expressing personal frustration over the squad's internal environment.