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 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 Captain Returns to the Helm Bringing Bashar back is a smart play. At 53, he's a respected figure in Bangladeshi cricket. He led the national side in 18 Tests and 69 ODIs, and he still holds the distinction of being the first Bangladeshi batter to ever cross the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket. That's serious pedigree. But his value goes beyond his playing days. He served as a men's selector for over a decade starting in 2013, then shifted to lead the women's program for a year. Most recently, he was running the BCB's age-group cricket operations. So when the board needed a new chief selector last month, they didn't have to look far. He was already in the building, deeply connected to the next generation of talent. ### Building a Panel with Deep Roots Bashar won't be doing this alone. The BCB has put together a committee that leans heavily on domestic experience and current knowledge of the local 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 leading run-scorers in the country's history and holds the national record for most first-class centuries (34). Because he's still playing, he has a finger on the pulse of the current domestic scene in a way an outsider simply couldn't. - **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 role kept him right in the thick of the player development pipeline, so his move to the senior panel is a natural progression. He knows the young players knocking on the door. This composition tells you what the BCB values: selectors who understand the grind of the domestic circuit and have stayed engaged with the game's ecosystem. ### The Selection Process and the Road Ahead The board advertised the positions last month and interviewed several former cricketers, including names like Javed Omar and Mohammad Rafique. But in the end, they went with this mix of experience and contemporary insight. The fact they moved quickly and picked someone already embedded in the organization shows they had a clear vision for this new chapter. And what a chapter it is. The new panel inherits a Bangladesh team in a clear period of transition. The 2027 World Cup is the ultimate target, a beacon on the horizon. But the road there is packed. The international calendar across Tests, ODIs, and T20s is relentless, meaning these selectors will have to make big, consequential calls from the get-go. Bashar's unique experience—spanning men's and women's cricket, senior and age-group levels—gives him a rare institutional knowledge. He knows how the BCB works, he knows the players, and he understands the pressure of representing Bangladesh. It's a challenging job, no doubt. But with a focused panel and a long-term goal, they have a real chance to shape the future of Bangladeshi cricket.