Let Me Play The Ball First: Lipu On Hathurusingha 

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) newly-appointed chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu that he does not want to sit with Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha with any preconceived notion.

“The ball is not yet delivered, so let the ball come and let me play the ball first. I haven’t met the coach and when we will meet certainly we will exchange our views like I will know his philosophy while he will also know what philosophy I am carrying because both of us in fact the whole team have one goal and that is to make sure that Bangladesh cricket team perform and get result,” he said.    

In 2016, chief selector Faruque Ahmed resigned because the board members and the head coach started to interfere in his work. It was because the BCB had made significant changes in the squad selection process and the three-member selection panel was expanded to include the then head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, cricket operations chairman Akram Khan and BCB director Khaled Mahmud.

“ … I don’t want to talk about the previous process. Since it’s team selection, obviously the captain and coach will be involved. The system that is in international cricket is the system we would like to follow,” he added. 

“I will officially take office after a few days so I don’t want to answer everything. I have to talk to the cricket operations chairman and be clear,” he said, adding that he is confident that he can perform with his experience in different sectors of cricket.

“Actually, it’s been a long time since I have been here on BCB’s platform and in a new role. I haven’t worked in this role before but I am aware of it. I have worked at age-group for nine years and the maximum players in the national team are from age-group cricket and in the future too. In that light, given that I have successfully conducted tournaments and events at age-group level, it is my responsibility to carry on the selectors’ success,” he concluded.