Habibul Bashar named chairman of BCB's new selection panel

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Monday named former national captain Habibul Bashar as chairman of a newly formed four-member selection panel. The newly appointed panel will remain in place until the Bangladesh squad is picked for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be held in Africa in October-November 2027. Bashar would lead a revamped selection panel, expected to expand to four members from the previous three, a development the BCB confirmed in an official press release. "Bashar, 53, brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as a national selector for both the Bangladesh men's and women's teams. Bashar was a prolific batsman during his playing days. He is the first Bangladeshi to score more than 3,000 runs in a Test match and is still one of the country's most respected cricket figures. "Joining Bashar on the panel is former Bangladesh pacer Hasibul Hossain, who was part of the previous selection panel under Gazi Ashraf Hossain since September 2025. "The panel will also include Naeem Islam and Nadif Chowdhury. Naeem, 39, enjoyed a prolific two-decade playing career, scoring over 20,000 runs across formats. He currently holds the national record for the most first-class centuries by a Bangladeshi with 34 hundreds to his name. "Nadif Chowdhury, 38, brings extensive playing experience that spans 20 years and includes Bangladesh participation in T20 internationals. "He has been actively involved in talent development ever since he retired, serving as an Age Group Selector under the BCB," it added. The BCB restructured the selection panel after former chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain chose not to renew his contract, which ran until February 2026.