The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed former national opener Hannan Sarkar as the head coach of the Under-19 team. Hannan replaces World Cup-winning coach Naved Newaz, who will transition into a broader role within the BCB setup, working with the Under-23 programme while also serving as a coach educator.

Newaz was appointed Bangladesh Under-19 coach in 2018 and guided the team to its maiden ICC title when they won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2020.

"We have appointed Hannan Sarkar as Under-19 head coach while Naveed will be working with us in the Under-23 program," BCB Game Development Committee chairman Faim Sinha told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Cricbuzz had earlier reported that Hannan stepped down from the national selection panel to pursue coaching as a full-time career. The former Bangladesh batter said his desire to coach was rekindled after the BCB began prioritising local coaches for key roles.

"My dream of coaching existed long before this opportunity. Even before becoming a selector, I was involved in coaching. As many of you know, after retiring as a player in 2011, I coached in the Premier League for three years and also coached in the National League first-class competition," said Hannan.

"Then I moved into selection. After completing a nine-year journey as a selector, the opportunity came. Especially when the Cricket Board started prioritizing and promoting local coaches, my dream of coaching was revived," he said.

"When the opportunity arose, I communicated with the board and resigned as a national selector one year before the end of my contract. After that, I coached the Under-17 team. It was definitely a good move in my life," he said.

"The fact that the Cricket Board now trusts me with the Under-19 team is a reflection of that. It is certainly a very big platform for me," he added.

One of the areas Hannan hopes to address is the participation of players in multiple editions of the ICC Under-19 World Cup. He indicated a preference for widening opportunities and exposing a larger pool of young cricketers to international competition.

"Since I was previously a selector, I can relate to this issue. It depends on how the chairman, the Game Development chairman, the selectors, and the head coach think. It is a collective decision," he said.

"At this moment, as head coach, it is difficult for me to give a definitive answer. When we sit down to discuss selection criteria, the selectors, chairman, and I will decide together which process to follow," he said.

"Personally, I generally prefer giving opportunities to new players once someone has already received significant exposure. Rather than repeatedly selecting the same player, promoting a new player often seems the wiser approach. But the final decision will depend on the circumstances," he said.

Hannan also stressed that player development, rather than age-group silverware, would remain the primary objective of the Under-19 programme.

"When I spoke with our President and the chairman of the Game Development committee, this (whether we prepare squad for development or trophies) was one of the issues we discussed very seriously," said Hannan.

"Our main focus will be developing players because after Under-19 cricket, whether they move on to the Under-23 team or the HP team, we want a significant number of these players-five, seven, or even ten-to become cricketers capable of representing Bangladesh in world cricket.

"Of course, results matter and we will pay attention to them. But the primary focus will be maintaining the process required to develop quality, international-level players. The results will take care of themselves over time," he said.

While the BCB has permitted Hannan to take up coaching roles in domestic competitions, Cricbuzz understands that he has informed close associates that he is unlikely to pursue such opportunities because of potential conflicts of interest.

Hannan's support staff will include Mohammad Selim as fielding coach, Dollar Mahmud as pace bowling coach, Saifuddin Ahmed as physiotherapist, Morshed Hasan Caesar as trainer and Sandeep Kumar Raman as performance analyst.

Cricbuzz had earlier reported that Mahmudullah was set to join the Bangladesh Under-19 setup as a mentor, a move that was officially confirmed by the BCB on Monday.

"Mahmudullah will be with the Under-19 squad as mentor," said the Game Development chairman.

BCB launches Analytics Laboratory

Meanwhile, the BCB also announced the launch of an Analytics Laboratory aimed at transforming player development through data, technology and artificial intelligence.

Performance analyst Sandeep Kumar Raman has been appointed to lead the project.

The laboratory will initially be established at the indoor facility of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur before being expanded to divisional centres across the country in phases.

"The centre will maintain a comprehensive video database of players from Under-14 level to the National Team, ensuring that coaches, players and BCB management have access to vital performance data," the BCB said in a statement following the media briefing.

"Under the programme, dedicated performance analysts will work closely with coaches on individual player development, while coaches themselves will receive training to effectively utilize analytical data and technological resources.

"The laboratory will support bowling action correction, batting and bowling technique enhancement, skills development and fitness monitoring, while also ensuring a structured transfer of player information between coaching panels," the statement added.