2024-02-13 16:48:07
‘After many days coming to the premises of BCB with new responsibilities. Never worked in this role. But aware of the work.’
After 2013, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu distanced himself from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He was not seen in any role in the country’s cricket governing body after losing the governing body elections. But what is the identity of Gazi Ashraf Hossain… Bangladesh played the first international cricket match under his leadership in 1986. Later, he was also seen as a cricket administrator for a long time.
He was also the manager of the 1997 ICC Champions Trophy winning team. In 2007, he also represented Bangladesh five times in ICC board meeting as head of ad hoc committee. Director of BCB, Director of Cricket Management, Head of BPL Governing Council…how much experience he has.
After a long time, he was brought back to the board as the head of the National Selection Committee. BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon saw Gazi Ashraf’s name in the list of chief selectors and asked, ‘Will he work?’
The reason behind such a question is that BCB wanted to get Gazi Ashraf at various times before. But due to his mother’s illness and his busy schedule, he turned down the BCB offer. This time after receiving the proposal of the chief selector, he brought forward several issues. Agreed to work only after getting the green signal from the board. The board appointed him for two years. Which starts from March 1st.
One of the issues brought forward by Gazi Ashraf was, can the selection panel work independently? He said that assurance has been given by the board.
It has been talked about that there will be freedom. But I don’t want to talk more about the previous process. Because there has been a lot of talk about it. We know it was a big process. The captain and coach will definitely participate in the selection of the team. We will try to keep the process that follows in the international arena.
After Chandika Hathurusinghe joined the coaching panel of Bangladesh in 2013, there was a mess with the selection panel. At that time Farooq Ahmed was the chief selector. Interfered with his work and subsequently resigned from BCB due to lack of independence. This time also in Hathurusingh. This time too he is supposed to interfere in the work of the selectors. If so, what will Gazi Ashraf do? He gave the answer like this, ‘The ball has not been delivered yet. Let the ball go first. I will not play then. OK.’
And if you do not get the opportunity to work independently? Gazi Ashraf said openly, ‘I believe that there is no joy in working without freedom. The road is always open. The way to come is also open. The way to go is also a game.
Gazi Ashraf has been added as the Chief Selector and Hannan Sarkar has been added to the Selection Committee. Abdur Razzak is with him. Gazi Ashraf has promised to be 100% honest in his work with his panel, ‘Cricket is a challenge. I and my panel (Hannan Sarkar and Abdur Razzak) have got the new responsibility and we will try with talent, wisdom, integrity and concentration with the limited resources we have… I will not say that there are a lot of resources. From that, I will try to make the best team in the country in the light of the opponent, against any foreign team in the country or abroad or in that light in the global tournament.