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 in for Gazi Ashraf, whose term wrapped up in February. It's a homecoming of sorts for a familiar face, and the timing is everything. This newly formed four-member panel isn't just a temporary fix. They've been given a clear, long-term mandate that 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 build a squad capable of competing on the world's biggest stage. ### A Familiar Face Returns to a Key Role So, who is Habibul Bashar? Well, if you follow Bangladesh cricket, you know the name. He's 53 years old and a genuine legend. As a player, he captained the side in 18 Tests and 69 ODIs. He also holds a special place in history as the first Bangladeshi batter to ever score over 3,000 runs in Test cricket. But he's not new to the selector's chair. Far from it. He served as a men's selector for a solid eleven years, starting back in 2013. After that, he took the helm of the women's wing for a year. Most recently, he was running the BCB's age-group cricket program. The board didn't have to look far when Ashraf's time was up—they just went down the hall. ### Building a Panel of Insiders Bashar won't be doing this alone. The BCB has put together a panel that clearly values deep, current knowledge of the domestic game. They've retained Hasibul Hossain from the previous committee, and then added two crucial new members. - **Naeem Islam (39):** This guy is a domestic cricket titan. With 8 Tests and 59 ODIs under his belt, he's still actively playing first-class cricket. He holds the national record for most first-class centuries (34) and has piled up over 11,000 runs. His finger is directly on the pulse of today's players. - **Nadif Chowdhury (38):** Represented Bangladesh in three T20Is and has spent the last year as an age-group selector. That means he knows the young talent pipeline inside and out. His move to the senior panel is a natural progression. The board reportedly interviewed other former stars like Javed Omar and Mohammad Rafique. But in the end, they chose a team built on extensive domestic careers and recent administrative experience. It tells you they want selectors who truly understand the current landscape, not just past glory. ### The Road to 2027 Let's be honest, this panel has its work cut out for it. They're inheriting a Bangladesh team in a clear transition phase. The 2027 World Cup is the obvious target, a beacon on the horizon. Every selection decision from here on out will be made with that tournament in mind. The calendar between now and then is packed with international cricket across all formats—Tests, ODIs, and T20s. These selectors will need to be decisive. They'll have to balance building for the future with winning today. Bashar's unique experience across men's, women's, and age-group cricket within the BCB gives him something invaluable: institutional knowledge. He knows how the board works, where the pressure points are, and how to navigate the system. In a way, his appointment feels less like a new hire and more like a promotion from within. It's a fascinating setup. You've got a chief selector who knows the organization backwards, supported by experts who are literally still on the field or scouting the next generation. The BCB moved quickly to fill this vacancy, and the composition of the panel suggests they knew exactly what they wanted: selectors with their boots on the ground, focused squarely on the future.