Want Shakib Al Hasan's comeback for the long term – Bashar

Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh Cricket Board's newly appointed chairman of the national selection panel, said on Tuesday that he will always listen to his heart in making decisions, irrespective of whether it brings success or failure.

"I know I won't be right all the time as I am human and can make errors. But when it comes to my judgments I will do what my heart says. If I have to hear words [criticism] for it, I am willing to take it," Bashar told reporters during his first official press conference after taking over.

"Whether it is being trolled or being criticized by the press I am not bothered about it. I went through all this when I was the captain and my main job is to work with the team and it won't be hampered by anyone's writing," he said.

While Bashar will take over duties next month, he addressed the inevitable question regarding Shakib Al Hasan's availability. Bashar made it clear he was not thinking about Shakib's participation in the upcoming New Zealand series in isolation; rather, he is focusing on Shakib's participation over a longer period.

"There is not much time left before the New Zealand series and I am not sure how much cricket Shakib has been involved with. From what I know about him, he is not a guy who will come tomorrow and play the day after. He needs preparation too. It's not a place of emotion. Definitely if we are thinking about Shakib, we will think in the long-term," Bashar said.

"I don't think about Shakib coming for a single series and then leaving. If we can get service from him, we will want that he provides that for a long time. In that regard, preparation is very important. First things first, he is definitely in the plans. I think he still has two years.

"I want him for the longer term, at least to have that plan where he can play the 2027 World Cup. So my plans are not for one series," he added.

Bashar stated that his primary focus will be securing Bangladesh's direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Bangladesh, currently placed ninth in the ODI rankings, will be aiming to climb into the top eight before the cut-off date.

"I mean our first target is to qualify directly. That is the primary target. But more important than that is that we are consistent in performance. Whether in team selection or in our performance, this will be a big focus definitely," he said.

"And since there are many matches this year, I think we have to work with a larger group. Back-to-back series are there. So we have to expand the players' pool a bit more. If outside the 14-15 squad there are maybe 10 or 15 more players, working with this group is very important. If we can prepare this group very well, then I think we will not have problems," he explained.

Bashar made it clear that expanding the pool would not come at the expense of results, insisting that the team's priority will always remain winning matches.

"Bangladesh team plays to win every match. There is nothing to sacrifice there. Whenever you build a team, you will send the team that can win. And when you think about the future, then some players you have to introduce. And it is best when you introduce one or two players alongside current players – it becomes easier for them," he said.

"We don't want to try new players just prior to the World Cup. If you want to try someone, do it within this time, but not sacrificing that the team will not win—nothing like that. I don't believe that.

"I think yes, we will definitely give opportunity to new ones, but not that just giving one chance. If someone is good, definitely that is a big advantage," he added.