Habibul Bashar, the head of Bangladesh Cricket Board’s recently established selection panel, said on Saturday that the committee wants a bigger influence on decisions around the playing XI in the period ahead. Speaking during the announcement of Bangladesh’s squad for the first two encounters of their white-ball tour against New Zealand, Bashar noted that the group selected for this stretch is unchanged from the team that took part in the Pakistan series. The squad features Litton Kumar Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman.
Bashar clarified that the committee’s intention is not to override the day-to-day XI selection process, but to contribute meaningfully to it. “It’s not like we want to pick the playing XI ourselves, but we want to give our inputs,” he told reporters in Mirpur. He added that when the panel prepares the squad, it communicates with both the coach and the captain, emphasising a shared approach rather than isolated decision-making.
Continuity, Bashar said, is central to the current plan, which is why the panel has kept the squad the same. After reviewing the previous series, he described it as a successful one, stating that Bangladesh showed good cricket. He also pointed out that while some players did not get opportunities in the XI, and some new faces were introduced into the setup, the overall performance did not warrant sweeping disruption. The selection philosophy, according to Bashar, is to provide opportunities to players once they are brought into the squad, and to maintain a steady core rather than making changes purely for the sake of it. “Those who played didn’t perform poorly. We believe in maintaining continuity, which is why we have kept the same squad,” he said.
Looking further ahead, Bashar indicated that Bangladesh are unlikely to pursue major reshuffles before the World Cup. He stressed that the team’s mindset remains focused on winning matches, while still keeping the World Cup in view. “We do not want to make major changes before the World Cup. If we need to assess someone, we will do so within the next six months or a year,” he said. The panel’s priority, he added, is to assemble the best team capable of results, without compromising a winning approach.
New Zealand are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on April 13 for a white-ball tour that includes three ODIs and three T20Is. The first two ODIs are set for Mirpur on April 17 and April 20, with the third ODI to be played in Chattogram on April 23. The T20I leg begins in Chattogram on April 27 and 29, before concluding in Dhaka on May 2.
