Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Habibul Bashar said on Monday in Chattogram that the Test side may adopt a more attacking approach as they prepare for the upcoming series against Pakistan in early May, with selectors naming Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Amite Hasan in the squad to support that shift.
“This series we are going to play is part of our Test Championship. Of course, so far we cannot proudly say that we have done very well in the Test Championship. Our plan is to perform well in this Test Championship. Earlier we didn’t do very well, so we want to take ourselves a bit higher from there,” Bashar said. He directly linked the tactical rethink to poor results, which places performance pressure on both selection and execution.
“To do that, we might play cricket in a different way. We might move towards a more attacking style of cricket. You have seen we have taken a new opener, that is part of the plan. Our bowling side is okay. We have the ability to take 20 wickets. If we can be consistent in batting, Bangladesh will do well in the Test Championship. The style might change a bit. I’m not saying Bazball, but the style might change,” he added. He ruled out a full stylistic overhaul and instead pointed to incremental changes, with batting tempo as the primary focus.
The selection of Tanzid Hasan Tamim reflects that intent. Bashar made it clear that the team will not alter a player’s natural game to fit traditional Test expectations.
“When we select a player, we select based on his style of play. Whoever we select, we want him to play that kind of cricket. How we play overall we will decide later, but it is part of our plan that we might play that kind of cricket. If you want to play attacking cricket, you need that kind of player. So it is part of the plan,” he said. This approach prioritises role clarity, which often improves output in unstable batting units.
Bashar also addressed the current opening pair and confirmed continuity despite the broader tactical discussion.
“As I said, we will let players play according to their own style. The two openers we have each have their own style. I don’t want them to go outside their natural style because that reduces the success rate. They are in form and remain the management’s preferred options. I am saying, if we need to change the plan in the future, we are keeping options ready. I will not tell Shadman to play like Tamim, or Tamim to play like Shadman,” he said. He protected the incumbents while signalling that competition now exists within a defined tactical framework.
