Former national cricketer Enamul Haque said on Wednesday that he is ready to quit umpiring if he is given a suitable offer to work as a national selector.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board is reportedly planning a complete revamp of the selection process, abolishing the current structure. A BCB working committee last week considered a new structure for selection panel, which will include a director as coordinator. The position of chief selector is likely to be abolished in the new panel, which, if approved, will be first of this kind in the world.
BCB’s working committee chief Enayet Hossain Siraj on Wednesday told New Age that the plan is still at embryonic stage and no decision has been finalised.
‘These are mostly speculation,’ Enayet said. ‘We haven’t made any decision yet.’
Enamul’s name has been touted as the member of new selection panel alongside the three current selectors Faruque Ahmed, Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar.
Enamul, who played 10 Tests and 29 one-day international for Bangladesh, built a career as an international umpires and currently one of the three Bangladeshis to hold a position in ICC’s international panel.
However, his umpiring career did not flourish as expected, which prompted the former cricketer, a left-arm spinner and lower-order batsman in his playing days, consider a new future.
He made his debut as an international umpire in 2006 and conducted just one Test and 54 ODIs, mostly at home.
The ICC did not dare to give him any more Tests after his debut in a game involving New Zealand and Zimbabwe in 2012.
He was also ignored in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and in the recent ICC World Twenty20 in India.
Apart from Aleem Dar, Ian Gould and Nigel Llong, the other nine umpires of ICC Elite Panel are junior to him as international umpire.
Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Marais Erasmus (South Africa) Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Richard Illingworth (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Sundaram Ravi (India), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Rod Tucker (Australia) and Bruce Oxenford (Australia) have all made their international debut as an umpire after that of Enamul.
Enamul, who last conducted an international match outside Bangladesh in 2013, vowed to continue as an umpire last year but appeared to have changed his mind recently.
He appeared in some television talk-show during the recent ICC World Twenty20, an unusual thing for someone who is regarded as an intentional umpire.
It only came as an indication of his new ambition as a selector or as an administrator.
Enamul, who celebrated his 50th birthday in February, however, said he is yet to receive any formal offer from the BCB.
‘I am yet to receive any thing officially,’ said Enamul. ‘But if BCB comes up with a good offer I am prepared to take up the role of a selector.
‘I cannot continue both and so willing to give up umpiring all together,’ he said.
The tenure of chief selector Faruk Ahmed ended on December 2015, while the tenure of two other selectors-Minhajul and Bashar – also ended in June 2015.
They are currently working in an ad hoc basis until the next BCB meeting finalises their fate.
-With New Age input
