Barishal: Former national captain Mohammad Ashraful is set to supervise Barishal Division in the upcoming National Cricket League (NCL), said BCB tournament committee chairman Akram Khan. “We’ve have taken Ashraful as the coach of Barishal. He himself has shown that interest,” Akram said here today. “He said he wants to become a coach. Since he played for Barisal for two years, we gave him the opportunity to guide the team.”
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Ashraful, considered the first poster boy of Bangladesh cricket, has transitioned into the coaching profession after retiring from cricket. He previously worked for Rangpur Riders in the country’s popular franchise league, BPL. Akram Khan mentioned that they are trying to involve former players as coaches to guide various teams at the domestic level.
“Ashraful played for Bangladesh for a long time and there are players like Selim, Rokon, or Aftab… we will also discuss with them. If they are free, interested… we will involve them here. Our cricketers will benefit from them,” Akram opined.
The conflict among the cricketers of the Barisal division has recently drawn attention. Akram emphasized that they will monitor these incidents very seriously. He expressed his shock over the situation, pointing out that such discussions do not occur with any other division team.
The BCB plans to hold a meeting with the divisional managers to provide them with guidelines. “In the next four-five days, we will call the managers of each division and inform them about it. We will also give them guidelines so that everything is fine,” Akram stated.
Akram also highlighted the efforts in organizing regional cricket, mentioning that they are arranging a regional T20 in Chattogram, set to start on August 27. “If we get two or three good cricketers from that tournament, they can also play for Chattogram Division,” he said. This initiative aligns with the plans of the board president to promote regional cricket development.