Bangladesh Names Habibul Bashar Chief Selector for 2027 World Cup

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-03-24

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has made a major move, appointing former captain Habibul Bashar as the new chairman of the men's national team selection committee. He steps into the role following Gazi Ashraf, whose term wrapped up in February. It's a homecoming of sorts for a familiar face in Bangladeshi cricket. This newly formed four-member panel has a clear and significant mission: their mandate runs straight through to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2027, which is set to be hosted in Africa. That gives them a solid three-year runway to shape the team's future. ### A Captain Returns to the Helm Bringing Bashar back is a smart play. At 53, he's not just a former skipper; he's a legend. He led Bangladesh in 18 Tests and 69 ODIs and, to this day, holds the distinction of being the first Bangladeshi batter to ever cross the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket. That's serious pedigree. He's no stranger to the selector's table, either. He served as a men's selector for over a decade starting in 2013, before briefly heading up the women's wing. Most recently, he was running the BCB's age-group cricket programs. So when the board needed a new chief selector last month, they didn't have to look far. He was already in the building, which tells you they knew exactly who they wanted. ### Building a Panel with Deep Roots Bashar won't be doing this alone, of course. The BCB has put together a committee that leans heavily on domestic experience and current connections to the game. - **Hasibul Hossain** has been retained from the previous panel, providing some continuity. - **Naeem Islam**, 39, is a massive addition. He's played 8 Tests and 59 ODIs and, crucially, he hasn't formally retired from domestic cricket. He's one of the all-time leading run-scorers in Bangladesh's first-class history, with over 11,000 runs and a national record 34 centuries. He's living and breathing the current domestic scene right now. - **Nadif Chowdhury**, 38, rounds out the group. He played three T20Is for Bangladesh and has spent the last year as an age-group selector. That means he's got his finger on the pulse of the next generation coming through the pipeline. The board reportedly interviewed several other former stars like Javed Omar and Mohammad Rafique. But in the end, they chose a group defined by lengthy domestic careers and ongoing roles in cricket development. It feels like a deliberate strategy to get selectors who truly understand today's player landscape. As one insider noted, "The speed of the appointment and Bashar's existing role suggest the BCB had a very clear blueprint for what they wanted this new selection era to look like." ### The Road to 2027 So, what's on the plate for this new committee? A lot. They're taking over a Bangladeshi team that's in a clear period of transition. The 2027 World Cup in Africa is the obvious north star, a fixed goalpost they can build toward with purpose. But the road there is packed. Bangladesh has a full international calendar across Tests, ODIs, and T20s stretching out before them. These selectors will have to make big, consequential calls quickly—balancing experience with new blood, managing player workloads, and identifying the core group that can compete on the world stage in three years' time. Bashar's unique experience, spanning both the men's and women's setups within the BCB, gives him a deep institutional knowledge that should be invaluable. He knows how the board works, he knows the players, and he knows what it takes to succeed internationally. It's a challenging job, no doubt, but with this mix of experience and fresh perspective, Bangladesh cricket has positioned itself for a thoughtful and informed build-up to the next World Cup.