For the first time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has formed a four-member national selection panel. Former captain Habibul Bashar Sumon will serve as chairman, with Hasibul Hossain Shanto continuing from the panel of former chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu.
Two new faces have been added to this all-former international cricketers’ panel, Naeem Islam and Nadif Chowdhury. Both have represented Bangladesh at the international level and bring extensive first-class experience, especially Naeem. The newly formed panel is set to take charge from 1 April.
Former Bangladesh international Naeem was asked how it feels to be in the selectors’ “hot seat” after a long career that lasted 21 years.
Naeem told Times of Bangladesh, “Honestly, It feels good. As a player, you have an opportunity to contribute to the country. Now as a selector, there’s also a chance to contribute to the country. So I think it’s a different type of job, but somewhat similar in purpose.”
The selector’s job in Bangladesh is widely regarded as tough and often thankless. Criticism tends to outweigh praise, particularly on social media when selections do not align with public expectations. Print and electronic media also scrutinize decisions closely.
How challenging is it? Naeem accepts the reality but remains composed, stressing the importance of clarity in decision-making. “Whenever you do any job, there will be criticism, that’s normal. I’m not too worried about that. The important thing is, if you have a clear explanation for your decisions. Your opinion and mine will never be the same, different people will always have different views”, Naeem said.
“So whatever I do, I do it for a reason. If I can properly explain that reason to you. Because at the end of the day, you also want Bangladesh cricket to do well”, added Naeem, who has played 186 first-class matches. “We also work for that, then even if there are differences, both sides ultimately want the same good outcome.”
Looking ahead to his tenure through the 2027 ODI World Cup, Naeem kept his philosophy simple and firm. “My philosophy is that players must perform and perform consistently”, he said.
“I don’t want someone to score once and then not perform for a long time. I want players to deliver consistently. And wherever they perform, whether in domestic cricket or in the National League I hope our panel will always value that.” Naeem believes consistent performers will not go unnoticed under the new panel.
Fellow selector Nadif echoed a similar vision, placing strong emphasis on nurturing talent within the system. Having worked as an age-group selector since 2024, he highlighted the importance of focusing on players outside the national setup.
Nadif urged, “I think we need to take better care of the players outside the national team.”
“Our backup isn’t always strong. So we need to work on strengthening that. Especially if we go a bit further backplayers coming up from the Under-19 level. We need to take better care of them”, he added, pointing out the limitations in the current player pool.
On how to keep those players within the system, Nadif suggested a structured pathway. “For those players, maybe we can arrange something like an Under-21 or Under-23 camp, where they train throughout the year and stay ready for the national team. Whether it’s Bangladesh Tigers or HP, these camps need to run regularly throughout the year.”
Like Naeem, Nadif acknowledged the demanding nature of the role. “If things go well, selectors don’t really get much praise. But when things go wrong, all the blame falls on selectors. So yes, it’s a tough job. It’s a challenging position.”
However, he is encouraged by the composition of the panel. “We have a big panel. We’ll work together as a team. Suman bhai has been working for a long time. Then there is Naeem, who played recently, and I also played recently. We have a good combination, along with Shanto bhai. Overall, I think it’s a solid combination. Now let’s see, everything depends on results.”
Previous selection panels, particularly the one led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu for eight years, faced heavy criticism at times. In contrast, Gazi Ashraf’s tenure drew comparatively less scrutiny.
Asked whether such criticism concerns him, Nadif remained unfazed. “I’ve observed all this from a distance so far now I’ll have to face it. To handle it, I must have proper explanations ready. I have to do my job properly. I need to be prepared to explain why I picked a player or left someone out. If we can explain those decisions clearly, I don’t think handling the pressure will be a problem.”
