The Bangladesh Cricket Board has become sharply divided over who the next national chief selector should be, with officials backing either former national captain Faruk Ahmed or current selector Minhajul Abedin for the coveted post. It was earlier reported that Faruk was the only serious candidate for the post, which became vacant after Akram Khan resigned in October to take on BCB directorship responsibilities.
Faruk confirmed to New Age that he had been approached by the BCB, but sources said he was not the only candidate for the post.
Minhajul had been a selector for the last two years in the Akram-led committee and – according to one official who preferred not to be identified – the time has come to promote him to chief selector.
The group backing Minhajul said they have nothing against Faruk, who they say did a commendable job as chief selector during his first term from 2003 to 2007.
Faruk, who led Bangladesh to their disastrous ICC Trophy campaign in 1994, played a key role in promoting young players like Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal in his first term as chief selector.
However, since his replacement by Rafiqul Alam in 2007, Faruk has remained largely detached from cricket. Barring two brief stints with Duronto Rajshahi and Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League, he has not been directly involved in cricket for the past few years.
Minhajul – a qualified level-three coach who also had a more illustrious playing career than Faruk – has, on the other hand, been involved with cricket in one capacity or another since his retirement from first-class cricket in 2004.
He is also senior to Faruk as national captain and thoroughly deserves the post of chief selector, said the BCB officials who are backing Minhajul.
They added that Minjahul did not fare too badly either as a selector as he, as a part of the Akram-led committee, promoted some exciting young players like Sohag Gazi and Mominul Haque.
Minhajul and Habibul Bashar selected the team that beat New Zealand 3-0 in the recent one-day international series after the Test series ended in a draw.
Officials said they also had former chief selector Rafiqul Alam in mind, but he now lives in the USA and is unlikely to return anytime soon.
As Rafiqul is unavailable, officials said they now favour promoting Minhajul and adding a relatively young face, preferably Khaled Mashud, to the selection committee.
BCB officials also said they are also weighing up the option of making Bashar the new chief selector because of his vast experience in Test cricket, though such an appointment is unlikely.
The BCB is facing a race against time to finalise the new selection panel, which needs to be given adequate time for selection before the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka in January.
The panel, including the new chief selector, could be finalised in the Board of Directors’ meeting on November 30, said the officials.
-With New Age input
