Spin Battle in Dhaka: Why Mushtaq's Patience Message Could Decide ODI Series

With the hosts leading the series 1-0, both teams added left-arm spinners — Nasum Ahmed for Bangladesh and Akeal Hossein for the West Indies — as the slow, black-soiled surface in Mirpur is expected to play a major role in deciding the outcome of the match. The pitch, prepared under the guidance of Bangladesh’s new head of turf management, Tonny Hemmings, has already become a topic of discussion.

Mushtaq, a veteran of spin craft, cautioned his bowlers against getting carried away by the conditions. “I think as a spinner, when you see that kind of wicket, you get excited, and when you get excited, you don’t remember your process. Process is everything. You [have to] bowl good overs to get wickets, not just good balls,” he told reporters at Mirpur on Monday.

“On turning pitches, you’ve got to bowl maidens, good overs, and the wickets will come. And I think that is my message [which is] simple that [if] you remember your process, wickets will come,” he added.

Mushtaq also praised young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for his impressive performance in the previous game, while pointing out that it was not as effortless as it might have appeared.

“No, it’s not that easy, my friend. It’s not easy, honestly speaking. As that brother asked me that question, sometimes you feel more under pressure because you have to deliver the best (in a spin-friendly wicket),” Mushtaq said.

“Sometimes, as a young leg spinner, you get nervous. So, from a coaching point of view, you’ve got to make sure to talk about the process and belief. Sometimes, those kinds of pitches take you out of your comfort zone and process. I think it was very good bowling from Rishad — he bowled consistently with a good line and length and started bowling a good wrong’un now, which is very good. This is good news for Bangladesh cricket,” he said.

Mushtaq revealed that Bangladesh’s spin reserves are rich in potential, particularly in the leg-spin department. “I remember we had a two-day session here in Mirpur. We had ten legspinners, young legspinners, Under 15, Under 16, and Under 17, and there are two young legspinners from Under 19 also,” he said.

“Shahid Mahmood has been working hard. Arshad Khan has been working hard. I spoke to them. So, they keep sending me the videos and everything, and I keep telling them what to do basically. Remember one thing, you have to figure out as a journalist also that as a leg spinner, you need to have a very good repeatable action. If you have a repeatable action at an early age, biomechanically, I think you have a very good time, a very good future to survive internationally also. So, I think we are focused on that, those things,” he added.

For Mushtaq, red-ball cricket remains central to developing complete spinners. “Red ball cricket makes spinners and batters the best. Because red ball cricket teaches you how to understand the situation, how to play according to the situation, reading the pitches, how to get people out, all those things, and with good coaching, you need also a good environment with the red ball cricket,” he said.

He also sees Rishad’s future lying in the longer format. “100% (Rishad has a future in red-ball cricket) because the last four wickets, sometimes because everyone, every team now, nowadays, they can bat. You know, like the last four batsmen, like Australia and England, they can bat,” he said.

“Against legspinners who can bowl a good wrong'uns and with Rishad's height and bounce, I think we can challenge them because the last four batters cannot read your wrong'uns well,” Mushtaq explained.

“So, Rishad can be very lethal for Test cricket also, but he has to earn that place to bowl good overs now,” he concluded.

- IANS