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Vice-chairman of the cricket operations committee and national team director, Khaled Mahmud Sujon, expressed his surprise at the announcement of Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu as the new chief selector by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) but he is happy to see his senior in that position.

"It was really surprising for me. I hadn't heard his name as a candidate. Many other names were floating around. I am the vice-chairman of cricket operation, still I didn't know anything. This is what surprised me the most," Sujon told the reporters in Chattogram today.

Durdanto Dhaka coach expected everyone to respect the board's decision and their newly formed committee, comprising Hannan Sarkar and Abdur Razzak, a fair opportunity to prove their capabilities.

"Lipu bhai is a very knowledgeable person, he is much senior to me. He has seen Bangladesh cricket for many years. He was the Bangladesh captain, the Abahani captain. There can be no questions about his appointment. He can do well in this position."

Sujon said that he had expected Habibul Bashar Sumon, who was part of the selection panel since 2016, to take over from Minhajul Abedin as chief selector.

"I feel that Sumon definitely deserved it. He was a successful captain of the Bangladesh team, he was a successful cricketer and he also worked with the team for many years. I had hoped that he would be made chief selector if Nannu bhai gets replaced."