There Will Be Freedom – Lipu

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s newly formed selection panel convener Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said on Tuesday that he is confident of having freedom.

The selection panel head added that if his freedom is curbed he might have to think otherwise.

“There will be freedom (as the head of the national selection panel) it was discussed with me,” Hossain told reporters during his first interaction with the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

“I don’t want to talk about the previous process. Since its team selection, obviously the captain and coach will be involved. The system that is in international cricket, is the system we would like to keep things within that frame,” he said.

“I believe that without freedom there is no enjoyment in working. The path is always open to come and also to leave,” he said.

BCB on February 12 made wholesale changes in the selection panel as they decided replace long-term chief selector Minhajul Abedin with Hossain while also replaced Minhajul’s long time selection panel member Habibul Bashar with age-group selector Hannan Sarkar with only Abdur Razzak managing to retain his post in the selection committee.

Lipu added 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,” he said. 

“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.    

 “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.