BCB to resolve major issues after elections

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will look to solve a few of its major issues centring on the captaincy and the national selection panel following the general elections on January 7, informed BCB's cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus yesterday.

Having capped off their international duties with the last of the three-match T20I series against New Zealand away from home on December 31, the focus for the national men's team players now shifts to the Bangladesh Premier League, country's lone franchise-based T20 tournament, beginning on January 19.

"We are going to sit after the elections about these issues, not before that," Jalal told The Daily Star.

BCB's position on the captaincy issue is at loggerheads with what all-format captain Shakib Al Hasan had said regarding his role.

The board had reiterated last month that it considers regular skipper Shakib as the captain of Bangladesh in all three formats despite the fact that the star all-rounder stated in an interview just before the October-November World Cup in India that he wished to hand down the responsibility after the megaevent.

The 36-year-old, who is rehabilitating from an injury while also contesting in the country's general elections, was forced to miss successive home and away series against New Zealand, allowing Najmul Hossain Shanto to take over as captain.

Meanwhile, the tenure of the current national selection panel led by Minjahul Abedin Nannu has also run its course. The board is yet to decide whether to shuffle or make changes in the lineup comprising Nannu, Habibul Bashar and Abdur Razzaq.

Come March, Bangladesh will welcome Sri Lanka to resume their international fixtures. As things stand, all issues relating to the Tigers will be attempted to be solved after the general elections.