Can BCB get communication right with their new senior core?

How will the Bangladesh national cricket team shape up as they embark on a new journey with a fresh set of senior cricketers?

Recently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board made a bold statement with its latest central contract, marking a significant shift in the nation's cricketing landscape.

For the first time, none of the iconic "Fab Five" -- Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza -- have been placed in the highest category.

The change in the central contract was inevitable. It marks a new dawn for the men in red and green as they prepare to take on Zimbabwe in the upcoming two-match Test series.

Though Mushfiqur Rahim is likely to be part of the series, there will not be much noise around the remaining four from the Fabulous Five, as they are unlikely to return to the team in any format anytime soon.

Bangladesh's team management has often displayed a particular mindset when it comes to handling senior cricketers, which has led to confusion in the past.

Unlike before, the BCB recently sat down with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah and explained their plan of action, conversations that helped them decide to retire from ODI cricket.

The selection panel has also faced criticism at times, especially when the past team management seemed to prefer dropping a senior cricketer altogether rather than having him in the squad but not in the playing XI.

However, Najmul Hossain, who led the Test and ODI sides until the Champions Trophy, believes proper communication can resolve such issues.

"This should not be the case and I have never faced such a problem and never thought about it that way (that we cannot pick a senior because we cannot drop him if he does not make a place due to combination)," Najmul told Cricbuzz recently.

"I think if we can communicate regarding roles of different cricketers, whether he is a senior player or junior player, like this is the plan and that is the reason you are playing or you are not playing, that is enough," he said.

"The thing is, as a captain and the selectors who will be in charge, if they can give a clear message to the player that he is not playing because of this reason, in that case there won't be any miscommunication, if there is at all," he added.

"Being a professional cricketer, if any senior cricketer needs to sit out, he will sit out and that's fine. I don't think that senior cricketer will be unhappy or angry or will do anything silly because we are all professional cricketers and we all know what the need of the team is. It would be better if this practice (not picking a senior because we cannot drop him) is not there," he said.

"Look, this is not an individual game, it's a team game, and I think the best combination should be played. Certainly, seniors who have been playing for so many years deserve respect, and that can be done well when we communicate with them, like talk with them and say this is our plan and we are thinking along these lines," he explained.

"So I don't think there is any cricketer in Bangladesh who would be disappointed about it (if he is explained why he is not in the combination). I always felt that we had a communication gap," he concluded.

In the recent past, Bangladesh's ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan told Cricbuzz that he would have been happier if the communication had been better ahead of the Champions Trophy.

There are now several cricketers -- Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, and Taijul Islam -- who will be stepping into the shoes of the former seniors. It remains to be seen how the board manages them moving forward.