Making the speculation true, Habibul Bashar has been appointed as the new chief selector of the national team. Under his leadership, the newly shaped four-member selection committee will serve until the 2027 ODI World Cup. After taking charge, in a detailed interview given to Tarek Mahmud yesterday, former national captain Habibul said he wants to see brave cricketers in the Bangladesh team—
You have become chief selector from head of operations of the Game Development Department. As far as I know, you were quite enjoying your previous responsibility working with emerging cricketers. The new job is a thankless job—do you think you will enjoy this too?
Habibul Bashar: To tell the truth, the selection committee is not really a place to enjoy. It is an honorable and responsible position. However, it is a big challenge, and I always enjoy taking challenges. Before taking the responsibility of chief selector, I took some time, because I was truly doing my previous work with a lot of satisfaction being involved in the cricket development process. It was not easy for me to leave that. In the new role, there will definitely be much more pressure, and I will have to stay in focus all the time. But since I have played in the national team, captained, and also worked as a selector before—except for a gap of two years, I have always been in focus.
This time BCB followed a slightly different process in appointing selectors. It asked for applications through advertisement and took interviews. How did you find the process?
Habibul: Through this process, BCB got the opportunity to see many people. Being a member of the selection committee is not a permanent job. It is not that someone will stay here for 10–20 years. There will be changes. From that perspective, it is good for BCB, because they got to see many at once. BCB came to know who want to be selectors and who have that potential. If they want to take someone in the future, they will certainly keep this interview in mind.
Including you, the new national selection committee has four members, whereas it has always been three. At one time, even when the coach was involved in the selection process, the selectors were still three. Why this increase in the number of members?
Habibul: In my personal opinion, since voting is often needed in such committees, it is better if the number is odd—say three or five. This is the practice worldwide. Even though opinions of the coach and captain are taken, the final decision is made by the selection committee. Therefore, an even-numbered selection committee is somewhat unusual. However, since the chief selector has the opportunity to take the last call, I hope this will not be a big issue. If there is an equal vote on any matter, the chief selector can make the decision.
What will be the style of your selection committee? Has BCB given any guideline in this regard?
Habibul: There has not been detailed discussion on this. I was outside Dhaka the day before yesterday. Today (yesterday) I sat with the chairman of cricket operations, and some initial discussions were held. However, there was no discussion about the criteria or process of team selection. Tomorrow (today) I will go for Umrah again; this was a plan from a month ago. After returning from Umrah, I will discuss everything in detail. For now, I know that since BCB is moving towards regional cricket bodies, the board’s plan is that the four selectors, beyond regular work, will each take responsibility for four regions. There was also a discussion to assign one selector to each division. If this is done, the work will become easier and better.
Will there be coordination with the junior selectors as well?
Habibul: There has been no discussion on this. When I first joined as a selector, this existed. It has not been followed for a long time in between. I do not know whether something like that will happen again, but it would be good if it does. Suppose the national selection committee wants to bring someone up from below; then this alignment is necessary. Instead of seeing through one person’s eyes, seeing through two helps to understand a player better.
In the past, questions have been raised about board interference in team selection. There is also controversy that the selection committee was not always independent. How much independence will you seek for your committee?
Habibul: (Laughs) Look, when I spoke with the board, my only demand was that I would be responsible for my work. I will take the responsibility. That is, it should not be that ten people make the team and then say that since ten people made it, I alone am not responsible. I do not want that at all. I am clearly saying, the team will be mine. If it does well, it is my team; if it does badly, it is also my team. This is my main demand from the board.
What will be the communication or relationship between players and Habibul Bashar’s selection committee?
Habibul: I think it is good to maintain some distance between selectors and players and coaches. However, players must be made to understand what our demand is and what kind of cricketers we want in the team. It is good for players to know our thinking. Our philosophy will be that we can, if needed, tell a cricketer, “We are giving you a free license. You play, I am beside you.”
In the past, there have been complaints that selectors dropped players without showing any reason or informing them. It is heard that this has happened even in the case of senior cricketers. What will be your committee’s policy in this regard?
Habibul: I think this should not come as a condition. Yes, it should be the normal process, but it cannot be made mandatory. Suppose we asked a player for a specific performance. Not getting that, we drop him and say, “Brother, your game is not aligning with what I want from you or what our game plan is. Play in this way so that we can consider you again in the future.” …It can happen like this. However, in this case, players also have to be positive.
Let me mention an incident from my previous stint as a selector. Once we told a cricketer that in the future we would consider him only in white-ball cricket, not in red-ball cricket. So he should focus on white-ball cricket. Especially, we asked him to improve his fielding in white-ball cricket. But that cricketer did not take our words positively. Later I heard that he said many things about why he would not be taken in red-ball cricket. Selectors always want the best for players. From past experience, I can say there is no matter of personal likes or dislikes here. Saying “you are not in the team” to a cricketer is the hardest job for a selector—at least it was for me.
Looking at how Bangladesh is playing in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is now, which areas do you think the selection committee needs to rethink?
Habibul: To be honest, since I was busy with another role, I have not looked at the team from a selector’s perspective in the last two years. So I cannot answer this question right now. However, I think in all three formats our top order or opening pair has not been settled for about a year. Stability in this area is very important.
Is the problem only with the top-order batsmen, or does the frequent shuffling of positions also play a role?
Habibul: I do not want to go into that much detail. But there is an opportunity to work in this area. It would be good if it is fixed before the 2027 World Cup. In bowling, we now have many options. If our top order had performed well over the past year, we would have been in a better position.
Bangladesh played on sporting wickets in the Pakistan series at home. BCB has indicated that such wickets will be used in home series going forward. In that case, dependence on pacers will increase further. Beyond the current players, how do you see promising pacers?
Habibul: Unfortunately we did not find anyone in the team that went to the Under-19 World Cup this time. However, domestic cricket is now being played on sporting wickets. From there, fast bowlers are gradually emerging. Besides the four pacers in our team in the Pakistan series, we have equally good pacers outside them. There is Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Sakib is a world-class pacer. It is important to nurture them properly.
Spinners are also bowling well. Left-arm Nasum is doing well, off-spinner Nayeem is not getting opportunities, but he is also good. There are some promising leg spinners at junior level. So we have options in spin as well. We can now build a good bowling attack to play in any condition. Since the World Cup is in South Africa, we will try to play in similar conditions.
However, it also matters whom we are playing against. We will not keep 10 inches of grass on the wicket against New Zealand. They also do not prepare spin tracks against us. The wicket may vary a bit depending on the opponent. I think now we have such a bowling attack that we can succeed in any condition. Our batsmen can also now play well on sporting wickets, which they often cannot on spinning wickets.
Looking at the current Bangladesh team—if you could pick one new player right now, what kind of player would you want first?
Habibul: You asked a good question. I will look for players who are lion-hearted, who have the mentality to fight. I want lion-hearted cricketers. I want mentally strong players. No matter how good the skill is, in big tournaments like the World Cup, having mentally strong players is very important. You need that kind of strong character there—I actually want some character in the team.
What are your thoughts on your first assignment—the New Zealand series squad?
Habibul: Lipu bhai (recent past chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain) has taken things forward to some extent. I spoke with him today (yesterday). Since he is there until 30 March, he is preparing the preliminary team. After returning from Umrah on 31 March, I may sit with him on the 1st. He certainly has a plan; I will learn that. If there is something to do from there, I will do it.
BCB has taken initiative to bring Shakib Al Hasan back to the national team. What are his chances of playing in the New Zealand series?
Habibul: Look, many may think that if Shakib plays one series, he will become open to playing for the country again. The thinking is correct. But as chief selector, I will not want him just for one series. If Shakib plays, I would like to consider him until the World Cup. I do not want him to come, play one series, and then retire. So it is important to consider whether he can be kept until the World Cup and whether he is in a condition to play.