The Bangladesh Cricket Board has become a divided house in choosing the team management for the upcoming national ‘A’ team’s tour to India with high-ups frequently changing their minds.
The BCB decided to form a strong Bangladesh ‘A’ team for the tour consisting three one-day matches and two three-day games as it included 14 players who had represented Bangladesh in the international matches.
However, BCB kept changing the team management now and then which left everyone confused. Sources said former national captain Habibul Bashar had been chosen as the manager before he was replaced by chief selector Faruk Ahmed.
The decision left Faruk himself surprised as he was not prepared for it.
‘I thought Suman [Bashar] was going. But today I got a call from the CEO confirming my appointment as manager,’ he said.
BCB sources said, the decision to include Faruk at the last minute came under the insistence of president Nazmul Hasan who believed the chief selector would be in a better position to look after the players ahead of the home series against Australia.
Nazmul also asked the BCB officials to send national team’s pace bowling coach Heath Streak as the coach of the ‘A’ team,
something that even left BCB’s cricket operation’s chief Naimur Rahman startled.
Naimur said he had recommended the name of Sarwar Imran as the coach, but Nazmul ignored his recommendation. .
‘I can just recommend, it’s up to the BCB president to accept or reject my recommendation,’ said Naimur. ‘I don’t see any problem in it because our president has the authority to take the decision.’
It was learnt that Naimur was also not consulted regarding the appointment of captain and vice-captain.
BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the decision to appoint Mominul Haque and Nasir Hossain as captain and vice-captain of the team was made as there was no name recommended.
‘As there was no recommendation [from cricket operations department] we felt that our board president will have to choose the captain,’ said Nizamuddin.
BCB’s decision to pick chief selector Faruk as the manager of the team left many wondering if it could send head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe or not.
With most of the players touring Hathurusinghe will be left only to coach Mushfiqur Rahim, Sakib al Hasan. Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and two pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Shahid, who could have trained with a prescribed formula in his absence.
Moreover, they may be involved in the National Cricket League during that period of time leaving Hathurusinghe little to do.
Asked if the BCB could have considered Hathurusinge for the tour, Naimur passed the ball on Nazmul’s court.
‘You would better ask the president,’ he said.
Chief selector Faruk also refused to make any comment on the issue.
‘It’s a valid question but I cannot answer it,’ he said.
-With New Age input
