Want Shakib Al Hasan's comeback for the long term - Bashar
Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh Cricket Board's newly appointed chairman of the national selection panel, said on Tuesday that he will always listen to his heart, irrespective of whether it brings success or failure.
BCB announced on March 23 that Bashar will lead the revamped selection panel, and returning to the role has turned out to be something of a homecoming for the former national skipper, considering he had been part of the national selection panel from 2011 to 2024 under the leadership of former chief selectors Faruque Ahmed, Akram Khan, and Minhajul Abedin respectively.
Later, Bashar was transferred to BCB game development in 2024 after Gazi Ashraf Hossain took over, following the end of Minhajul-led selection panel's tenure. However, Bashar has now replaced Ashraf as the head of the selection panel, and he insisted that he is not ready to budge under any external pressure when making decisions.
"I know I won't be right all the time as I am human and can make errors. But when it comes to my judgments I will do what my heart says. If I have to hear words [criticism] for it, I am willing to take it and I have taken the job after accepting that among 10 people, five will call me right and five will call me wrong," Bashar told reporters during his first official press conference after taking over the hot seat at SBNS on Tuesday.
"Whether it is being trolled or being criticized by the press I am not bothered about it. I went through all this when I was the captain and my main job is to work with the team and it won't be hampered by anyone's writing," he said.
While Bashar will take over duties next month, he could not escape the inevitable question regarding Shakib Al Hasan's availability during a press briefing on Tuesday. Bashar made it clear that he was not thinking about Shakib's participation in the New Zealand series; rather, he is focusing on Shakib's participation over a longer period of time.
"There is not much time left before the New Zealand series and I am not sure how much cricket Shakib has been involved with. From what I know about him, he is not a guy who will come tomorrow and play the day after. He needs preparation too. It's not a place of emotion. Definitely if we are thinking about Shakib, we will think in the long-term," Bashar said.
"I don't think about Shakib coming for a single series and then leaving. If we can get service from him, we will want that he provides that for a long time. In that regard, preparation is very important. First things first, he is definitely in the plans. You see there are talks about him in regards to the New Zealand series which is why I want him to come prepared for a longer time. I think he still has two years.
"Many talk about retirement, for instance, we have seen talks of Mushfiqur Rahim's retirement. I have said that the longer they play, it's better for us. The more we can include them, it's better for the side. And when we pick them, it's not so that they can come and retire. I want him for the longer term, at least to have that plan where he can play the 2027 World Cup. So my plans are not for one series," he said.
Bashar added that his primary focus will be securing Bangladesh's direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Bangladesh, currently placed ninth in the ODI rankings, will be aiming to climb into the top eight before the cut-off date to ensure automatic qualification, with the side led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
"I mean our first target is to qualify directly. That is the primary target. But more important than that is that we are consistent in performance. Whether in team selection or in our performance, this will be a big focus definitely," he said.
"And since there are many matches this year, I think we have to work with a larger group. Back-to-back series are there. So we have to expand the players' pool a bit more. Everyone should do well. If outside the 14-15 squad there are maybe 10 or 15 more players, working with this group is very important. If we can prepare this group very well, then I think we will not have problems," he said.
Bashar made it clear that expanding the pool would not come at the expense of results, insisting that the team's priority will always remain to winning matches.
"Bangladesh team plays to win every match. There is nothing to sacrifice there. Whenever you build a team, you will send the team that can win. And when you think about the future, then some players you have to introduce. And it is best when you introduce one or two players alongside current players - it becomes easier for them," he said.
"We don't want to try new players just prior to the World Cup. If you want to try someone, do it within this time, but not sacrificing that the team will not win-nothing like that. I don't believe that.
"I think yes, we will definitely give opportunity to new ones, but not that just giving one chance. If someone is good, definitely that is a big advantage," he added.
