Many cited Mashrafe bin Mortaza’s bold captaincy as one of the reasons behind the Tigers’ impressive performances in the 2015 ICC World Cup while others suggested that head coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s positive influence rubbed off well on his charges.
Chief selector Faruk Ahmed’s role, however, should also not be forgotten.
One-third of the national selection panel comprising Habibul Bashar and Minhajul Abedin, Faruk was a picture of braveness when he announced the final 15-man squad for the World Cup as nine cricketers were included who had no previous experience of playing in the global showpiece event. Everyone was eagerly waiting to find out if the likes of Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Taskin Ahmed had what it takes to shine on the world stage.
The courageous youngsters vindicated Faruk’s belief in some style, guiding Bangladesh to the quarter-final for the first time in history.
This was, of course, not the first time Faruk had drafted a World Cup squad. The 49-year old was also responsible for picking the squad in the 2007 ICC World Cup in the Caribbean where Bangladesh gave a great account of themselves on their way to the Super Eights.
On that occasion, Faruk was credited for selecting untried and untested cricketers like Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib al Hasan. The trio passed the World Cup test with flying colours as they defeated India and South Africa and are now one of the leading cricketers not only in Bangladesh but world cricket.
Faruk, the only selector in Bangladesh who has selected two World Cup squads, talked with Mazhar Uddin of Dhaka Tribune yesterday and during a candid conversation, he spoke at length regarding the challenges and limitations of being a selector. Faruk also gave his reasons behind the selection of Soumya in the World Cup squad and Shuvagata Hom in the two Tests against Pakistan. Here are the excerpts:
With the exception of the bilateral home series against Zimbabwe in November, Bangladesh experienced a dismal 2014. With the World Cup just around the corner, there were all sorts of suggestions flying around with regards to the team combination in Australia-New Zealand. In these circumstances, how challenging was it to pick the World Cup squad for the second time?
It was definitely a big challenge for us. But, the 2007 World Cup team selection was rather different in comparison with the 2015 World Cup. As we had a poor 2003 ICC World Cup, we had to rely on the age-level cricketers like Shakib, Tamim and Mushfiq. While this time, we already had a good and experienced set of players. Having said all that, we had to consider picking cricketers who would be able to cope with the conditions in Australia and New Zealand.
Soumya played just a solitary one-day international – fifth and final match against Zimbabwe – prior to being selected for the World Cup. Was his selection a gamble?
You can say it was a calculated risk which a selector has to take. In 2007, I did the same by picking Tamim and Mushfiq, who barely had any international experience.
In the 2015 World Cup, we were looking for a top-order batsman who can be a replacement of the openers and someone who can also bowl a bit at the same time. He would have helped with our team combination. You can say it was a gamble but from my point of view, it was a calculated one. Even the selection of Sabbir Rahman was a calculated risk as he was relatively new to the 50-over format. To his credit, Sabbir also played well.
The job of a selector is not an easy one. You guys probably face a lot of suggestions and influences before selecting a team.....
To be honest, I have never faced any influence whenever we (Bashar and Minhajul) pick a particular team. However, we do get some suggestions from the coach. And, whoever is able to provide a strong justification for a player, we never hesitate to include that particular cricketer.
Compared to the past, there are now more cricketers in the pipeline. Does that make your job easier while selecting a particular player for a format?
Obviously, it is a great sign for Bangladesh cricket that we are now getting enough players in the pipeline. Definitely, it makes our job easier as we can now consider a particular player who can contribute to the side in different formats. Now, we can rotate the cricketers more often in order to see which player is suitable for which particular format.
According to many, we are yet to have a perfect combination for the longer version in comparison with the shorter formats. For instance, the inclusion of Shuvagata in both the Tests against Pakistan was criticised heavily. What are the reasons behind his selection?
We are yet to give our best in the longer format. We are still lagging behind when it comes to Test cricket. Our job is to select the perfect team combination but it is up to the players’ application on the field.
Let me give you an example. When you see a boxer before a fight, you think he is strong and is definitely capable of fighting. But, it is up to the boxer to prove his worth on the ring.
I think we need to work more on this format, such as preparing more green pitches in the domestic circuit so that the players can adopt their game to certain situations. The board is working on this aspect as I speak.
There has been a lot of criticism regarding Shuvagata’s inclusion in the Test side. But, to be very frank, we were looking for an off-spinner who can also bat lower down the order. We had very little options with that position. But, I am hopeful Bangladesh will play better Test cricket sooner rather than later as the players are now performing consistently in the shorter formats of the game.
