‘Could be among the top four’

• Changes made to the selection procedure: Proposed revamp adopted with Habibul Bashar being transferred the BCB’s women’s national selection. He has been replaced in the panel by Sajjad Ahmed Shipon
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• The selected team will go through the team manager and head coach before going to BCB president for approval
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• Legal action to be taken against Bangladesh Premier League side Sylhet Superstars
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• Fourth season of BPL to begin on November 6

Bangladesh national coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s contract has been officially extended till the 2019 World Cup.

While talks of extending the Sri Lankan’s contract was always doing the rounds, it was officially confirmed in a board meeting at the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s headquarters in Mirpur earlier today.

The contracts of national team’s spin coach Ruwan Kalpage and trainer Mario Villavarayan have also been extended along with the coach, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon told reporters earlier today.

The president further said that the board has decided to bring a change in the national selection policy. “A three-member selection panel will select the team. There will be no interference. However, before submitting the team to me, they will sit with the coach and the manager in a meeting, convened by the cricket operations chairman. Once they all sign the team, only then will it come to me,” said Papon.

“There are many who expressed a few doubts regarding the system, however, this is how it has been going on informally ever since my arrival. I have just made it formal,” he added.

Another big change is the exclusion of Habibul Bashar from the national selection committee. Bashar has been transferred and will now look after the BCB’s women’s national selection.He has been replaced by Sajjad Ahmed Shipon. 

Thus, the three-member committee is likely to be Faruque Ahmed, Minhajul Abedin and Sajjad Ahmed.

The board has also said that it has finally formed a bowling action review committee which will include four members. BCB director Jalal Yunus will head it. A procedure to judge the bowlers bowling actions is still to be finalised. Yunus also said that the board is planning to build a bowling lab of its own in the near future.

Furthermore, BCB president also said that the board would take legal action against the Bangladesh Premier League franchisee, Sylhet Superstars.

“They still owe around three to four crores to the board and to the players. Since they didn’t pay that, we went to cash their bank guarantee. However, we couldn’t do that due to some technical issues which they raised.

“As a result we have decided to take legal action against them,” said Papon.

He further added that the Bangladesh Premier League will begin on November 6. Papon also said that the board has directed the clubs of the Dhaka Premier League to complete the payment of its players within the next 72 hours.

“If they don’t, the BCB will pay on behalf of them and then take the sternest possible action against the clubs,” said Papon.

With regards to the Abahani-Prime Doleshwar clash at the BKSP last Sunday, which was postponed indefinitely after the umpires had decided not to coninute the game, the president said that they would form a committee to figure out as to what happened in that game exactly.

“Actually, never have we faced such a situation before. We never had to stop a match like this. So honestly speaking, we don’t know what happened. That’s why we have decided to take our time and form a committee. For this,” said Papon.

In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, we take a look back on World Cups past through the eyes of Bangladesh's former World Cup stars. Syed Rasel, who played in six Tests, 52 ODIs and eight T20Is for Bangladesh, was also a pivotal figure in the Tigers' line up for the 2007 World Cup. The left-armer, best known for bowling economic spells, shared some of his World Cup memories in an interview with The Daily Star's Nabid Yeasin.

The Daily Star (TDS): How did it feel to play in the 2007 World Cup?

Syed Rasel (SR): I started playing cricket back in 1998 and I set a goal for myself at that time. I calculated that my age in 2007 would be perfect to feature in a World Cup for Bangladesh and that's what I targeted -- to play in the 2007 World Cup. I actually cannot express my feelings with words about how it felt to play in a World Cup that I had aimed for years back.

TDS: What is your best World Cup memory?

SR: Actually, every wicket I took was memorable. There were some match winning performances in that World Cup. For instance, in our first game against India, I did not get any wickets but I bowled economically and held back the run-flow from one end. I think in that game, players like Mashrafe [Bin Mortaza] and [Abdur] Razzak, who came into bowl after me were benefitted by my bowling. Another thing is that people still talk about Graeme Smith's wicket [against South Africa in the second round of the 2007 World Cup] when they meet me. There is however one interesting story about the game we played against West Indies. In that World Cup, every time before starting to bowl, I used to talk to Tamim [Iqbal].He used to guess and tell me the amount of runs I am going to concede and the number of wickets I will take. So in the game against West Indies, I asked Tamim 'So, Tamim tell me your predictions for today'. And then Tamim said that 'today you will get one wicket and give 48 runs'. And then I said to him that I think the number of runs is a bit more than I usually concede and it does not go with my character. Then Tamim replied to me that 'it is what it is, I cannot lessen the numbers'. It was as though I was actually insisting that he lessen the number of runs I would be conceding. Anyways, I was bowling my last over and I had already conceded 42 runs in 9.5 overs. The batsman was Brian Lara and before bowling my last ball to him I looked at Tamim. Tamim was signalling a six with his hand as if he was praying for it to happen and interestingly, I was struck for a six off that ball. This was the one time his prediction matched perfectly and it was a memorable thing in the World Cup.

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‘500 is a realistic target for us’

TDS: You were always known for your economic spells. In the upcoming World Cup in England, how important do you think it will be for the bowlers to bowl economically on true wickets?

SR: Cricket has now become a game of runs. In England, there won't be any moisture on the pitch like we used to find earlier. But the bowlers might get some swing in the air if there is wind. Other than that, I think it will be a batting track in England and it will be wrong of the bowlers and even the fans to expect some extraordinary bowling in England. So on that type of pitch the bowlers have to be technically sound, otherwise it will be tough for them to survive. The bowlers need to bank on variations like bowling slowers, slower yorkers, block holes, lower full-toss deliveries at times. The faster bowlers can even bowl half-volley deliveries at a good speed as it is hard to hit and might result in only a single most of the time. But the bowlers cannot afford to bowl short and good length balls, especially in the last ten overs as those will be easy pickings. The key there will be to try and contain the batsmen and not to go for wickets, because going for wickets might concede runs.

TDS: What do you think of Bangladesh's chances in this World Cup and how far will they go?

SR: The way Bangladesh have been playing and especially after seeing them win the tri-series in Ireland, I am now actually dreaming of them winning the World Cup. This is what we want but it will only be possible if our players can play as per their abilities. So I pray that they can carry their form and if they do then I think we can be in the top three.

TDS: Do you have a message for the players ahead of this World Cup?

SR: First of all, good wishes for the whole team. And my message towards them is that, if possible, bring the cup home.

Tigers' returned home today after their disappointing tour of South Africa.

The team landed in Dhaka at 8 am this morning.

Bangladesh were beaten convincingly in all three formats of the game as Proteas won the Test series 2-0, the ODI Series 3-0 and the T20 series 2-0.

Earlier, former national team skipper Habibul Bashar said that BCB will need to launch a thorough investigation to root out the causes of the disastrous South Africa tour.

T20 skipper Shakib Al Hasan had described the atmosphere in the dressing room as akin to a virus and ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had described the tour as 'alarming'.

Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said after returning that Bangladesh must learn from their mistakes but suggested that the experience will help the team grow.

He suggested that Tigers shrug off the poor performances and take lessons from the defeats.

With the certainty of the ODIs behind them, Bangladesh now are on the verge of re-entering their most vulnerable format -- Test cricket. Before an ODI series there is widespread anticipation of famous wins among Tigers fans, and that has as much to do with their settled line-up as it does with the improvement since 2014. 

In the oldest and most prestigious format of the game, however, prolonged gaps between series work against a settled combination, especially the bowling line-up which routinely struggles to take the 20 wickets that are necessary to win games. 

Many fans may have been looking forward to a certain fast bowler to don the whites for the first time in at least one of the two Tests against England. Taskin Ahmed's pace and success in ODIs has captured the imagination of fans countrywide, but coach Chandika Hathurusingha has, for the time being, poured cold water over those hopes.  

"Has he played any four-day cricket?" was his retort when asked if Taskin will be part of the Test series. "You think people can do magic straight away? No."

Chandika was speaking during Bangladesh's practice session in searing heat in Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday. To answer Hathurusingha's first question, Taskin had played four-day cricket, but that was more than three-and-a-half years ago in February 2013. 

"They are humans. If you haven't played four-day cricket in your entire life, standing four days on the field and bowling 15 overs is entirely new for him. I don't want to destroy somebody's career," Hathurusingha added. 

Speculation surrounding Taskin's role in the Test series gathered steam after he was included in the second two-day practice match pitting a BCB XI against the tourists starting on Sunday. According to chief selector Minhajul Abedin, there never was a plan to blood him in the upcoming Test series. 

"He wasn't in the picture for the Test series anyway. He will play the second practice match as he is part of our long-term plans," Minhajul said when contacted. He added that Taskin was not yet fit enough for Test cricket. 

When asked whether the 21-year-old fast bowler, who only returned after his bowling action was cleared in late September, will be in the picture for the New Zealand Tests starting late December, Minhajul said: "We will have to see how he goes; we cannot say for sure yet."