Image Source: IANS
[Saba Sports News] On Tuesday, February 20, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the appointment of former national captain Habibul Bashar as the head of women’s cricket.
Having served on the national selection panel from 2016 until its recent dissolution, Bashar has now assumed his new role, taking charge during a meeting of the women’s cricket wing led by chairman Nadel Chowdhury at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Nadel Chowdhury expressed optimism about the future of women’s cricket under Bashar’s leadership, highlighting the potential benefits of his experience. He outlined Bashar’s responsibilities, which include strategic planning, while BCB program head David Moore will handle communications with other boards and the ICC. The operations of the women’s cricket team will unfold under Bashar’s guidance.
“We have discussed how to go forward in the coming days with women’s cricket,” Nadel shared. “I think it’s a huge plus for the women’s wing to have someone like Habibul Bashar as the head of the department. And, I think it’s a big opportunity for him,” he said.
Bashar shared his enthusiasm, stating that the women’s team’s recent successes motivated him to accept the position. He emphasized the importance of developing school cricket for girls as a priority, aiming to expand participation and awareness of women’s cricket at the grassroots level.
“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,” said Habibul adding that his priority lies in school cricket at the moment for girls. “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 and take others like current cricketers with me to help different school authorities understand the importance of women’s cricket,” he said.
Moreover, Bashar discussed plans to introduce franchise cricket for women, anticipating that a T20 tournament could significantly elevate the profile and quality of women’s cricket in Bangladesh. He stressed the need for more matches and opportunities to enhance visibility and support for the women’s game.
Bashar also mentioned the possibility of scholarships for female cricketers, drawing parallels to similar initiatives in men’s cricket, to facilitate advanced training abroad. His appointment marks a strategic move by the BCB to bolster the development and promotion of women’s cricket in Bangladesh.