Newly-appointed chairman of national selectors Habibul Bashar wants a longer comeback for Shaib Al Hasan into the international fold. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday named Bashar as their new chief selector, replacing the outgoing Gazi Ashraf Hossain.
Bashar has selection experience from his time on the selection panel which spanned between 2011 and 2024 while Faruque Ahmed Akram Khan and Minhajul Abedin served as chief selectors. The selection lead position at the moment belongs to Bashar who discusses Shakib Al Hasan’s upcoming career pathway.
Bashar speaks on Shakib’s comeback
The chief selector expressed his desire to have Shakib return for an extended time period instead of a brief comeback. “There is not much time left before the New Zealand series and I am not sure how much cricket Shakib has been involved with. He needs to prepare because he is not the type of person who will arrive tomorrow and play the next day according to my knowledge about him. He needs preparation too. Bashar said at SBNS on Tuesday that Shakib requires long-term evaluation because Shakib requires evaluation of his future development.
“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. He needs to get ready before anything else. First things first, he is definitely in the plans. The New Zealand series generated discussions about him which I want him to prepare for during an extended time period. I think he still has two years.
People always talk about retirement, like with Mushfiqur Rahim. Honestly, I think the longer these guys stick around, the better it is for us. If we can keep them involved, it’s good for the team. And when we pick someone, it’s not just so he can retire soon after. I’m thinking long-term—I want him to aim for the 2027 World Cup. So I don’t just plan for one series. That’s not how I work.
Bashar doesn’t really care about online trolling. At 53, he says he follows his gut and doesn’t worry about criticism. “Look, I know I’ll get things wrong sometimes—I’m human, and mistakes happen. But when I make decisions, I trust what feels right to me. If people don’t agree, that’s okay. I signed up knowing that half will support me and half will question me.”
He’s not bothered by trolls or even press criticism. “I’ve dealt with all that back when I was captain,” Bashar said. “It won’t affect how I work with the team. My focus won’t waver because of someone’s article.”
Bashar’s first goal as selector, as he’s taking over next month, is pretty clear: he wants Bangladesh to qualify directly for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Right now, the team sits ninth in the rankings, so they need to crack the top eight for a guaranteed entry.
“Our first goal is direct qualification. That’s the focus. But even more important is consistency. Whether it’s choosing the squad or performance on the field, staying consistent matters.”
He pointed out there are lots of matches this year, and that means working with a bigger group of players. “We’ve got back-to-back series, so we need to widen the pool. Everyone needs to step up. If we have maybe 10 or 15 players outside the main 14-15 squad, it’s vital to get them prepared. If we do that right, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
