Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) General Secretary Syed Ashraful Haque has expressed his desire of contesting the upcoming BCB elections in October.
He also expressed keen to lead the board and bring structural reforms to the country’s cricket administration, reported UNB.
In an interview with a local media, the former BCB official said he was seriously considering a return to cricket governance after years away from the national setup.
“I’ve spent a long time working in cricket, both at home and abroad. Now, at this stage of life, I want to give something back,” he said.
Ashraf, who served as CEO of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for over a decade, said he wants to bring decentralisation to BCB operations if elected.
“For 25 years we’ve talked about forming regional cricket associations, but it still hasn’t happened. Cricket cannot remain centralised in Dhaka and a few cities,” he said. “We must take cricket to rural areas, set up independent local bodies that can operate without constant central interference.”
A former cricketer himself, Ashraf was the first Bangladeshi batter to score a double century in domestic competition in the early 1980s.
He later became a prominent figure in cricket governance, especially during his long tenure at the ACC.
“Yes, I will contest for president. Given my age and experience, this is the right time. But even as a director, one can contribute significantly—if they are allowed to,” he said when asked whether he would seek the presidency if elected to the board.
He also stressed the need for financial transparency at the BCB.
“At the ACC, we published financial reports every two weeks on the website. BCB should do the same. The public deserves accountability.”
Ashraf also took aim at the overreach of the BCB president’s role, calling for constitutional reforms to curb excessive control.
“A board president should not be a one-man show,” he said. “This centralised model is holding our cricket back.”
Declining to comment directly on the recent removal of Faruque Ahmed and appointment of Aminul Islam Bulbul as interim BCB president, Ashraf made it clear he wants no part in the board’s political games.
“I’m not here for internal politics,” he said. “I’m here to help improve cricket.”
BCB’s next general election will take place later this year, which will be the first election since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government that triggered widespread overhaul in administration of many organisations in the country.
