Bashar ‘inspired’ by women’s team’s recent results

Former national selector Habibul Bashar assumed a new role yesterday as the head of Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) women's wing. 

Women's wing chairman Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel expected good things going forward, having greeted Bashar yesterday on his new appointment.

"Yes, he would be in charge of the whole women's wing. I am the chairman and he would be the operational head," Nadel told The Daily Star.

"Yes, and obviously very happy and given his track record, he will do well here. He's a good person and everything concerned, he will do well," he added.

Previously, Bashar and chief selector Minhajul Abedin had been replaced in the selection panel after the latest meeting of the board of directors.

Bashar himself was focused on the nature of his work going forward, with a T20 World Cup to come this year.

"There is a scope to work in this field. Certainly, the recent result of the women's team inspired me to take up the job. There is a world cup and there are also domestic cricket so just trying to understand the requirements of my work for the time being." he said.

"I think if we can have school cricket for women it will be a huge step forward considering nowadays only few women cricketers are playing the game. I would like to go to different schools and try to promote women's cricket," he added.

As BCB are planning to include women's franchise cricket, Bashar said more matches will create more opportunities.

"If the franchise cricket takes place the focus will increase on women's cricket. The more matches we play the better because it will create opportunities for everyone," he said, adding that he is eyeing to have scholarship for women's cricket.

"I am happy to have David (Moore; BCB program head) with me. Now will see we can have scholarship like the way we had for men's cricket when we send some cricketers outside the country for better training, so that they can develop and perform and have many such plans like this," he concluded.