A matter of great pride: Bashar

The International Cricket Council (ICC) named Habibul Bashar as one of the ambassadors for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales, alongside seven other legends of the game.

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, England batsman Ian Bell, New Zealand pacer Shane Bond, Australia batsman Mike Hussey, India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith were the other ambassadors.

Bashar, the current selector of the Bangladesh cricket team, was elated by the news.

"It's a matter of great pride for me to be appointed as one of the ambassadors for this year's ICC Champions Trophy. Not many things can give you more satisfaction than promoting an ICC event, that too one in which the top eight sides will be fighting for top honours. I eagerly await my role and also look forward to penning my thoughts, which I feel is a great opportunity for me," Bashar said.

"It is definitely a big step forward for our country to qualify directly to this year's Champion's Trophy, and it is really important for the team as well."

Bashar is confident the tri-series in Ireland in May will help the side acclimatise to English conditions ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"We have been planning for the Champions Trophy for the last two years," he explained. “We did not have much success outside our home grounds, but we are prepared now. We played well in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and the last series against Sri Lanka gave us a lot of confidence.