Mushtaq Ahmed calls for calm amongst his spinners on black soil wicket
by Atif Azam • Last updated onMushtaq Ahmed calls for his spinners to remember the process while bowling © BCBBangladesh's spin consultant Mushtaq Ahmed is training his spinners to remember their processed and to avoid any overexcitement after seeing the spin-friendly wickets as they prepare to take on West Indies in the series deciding second game of the three-match ODI series, scheduled at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on April 21.The fact that Bangladesh and West Indies have included left-arm spinners Nasum Ahmed and Akeal Hossein respectively in their ODI squads for the remaining two matches of the series only validates that slow bowlers will call the shots on the black-soiled surface by their new head of turf management wing Tonny Hemmings."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," Mushtaq 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 said.Mushtaq added that it was not easy for Rishad Hossain to come up with that magical bowling display unlike the way it is projected that largely focussed on the wickets rather than his skill."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 spin friendly wicket)," said Mushtaq."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 added that there are lots of legspinners in Bangladesh but added that these spinners including Rishad Hossain should play more red-ball cricket in order to hone their skills."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," said Mushtaq."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 got to figure out as a journalist also that as leg spinner you need to have a very good repeatable action. If you have a repeatable action early age, biomechanically, I think you have a very good time, very good future to survive internationally also. So, I think we are focused on that, those things," he said."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 good environment with the red ball cricket," he said adding that he is seeing Rishad's future in red-ball cricket."100% (Rishad has future in red-ball cricket) because last four wickets, sometimes because everyone, every team now, nowadays, they can bat. You know, like last four batsmen, like Australia and England, they can bat," he said."Against legspinners who can bowl a good wrong'uns and with Rishad height and bounce I think we can challenge them because last four batters cannot read your wrong'uns well," he said."So, Rishad can be very lethal for Test cricket also but he has to earn that place to bowl good overs now," he concluded.© CricbuzzShareTweetTAGSRELATED STORIES
Most Popular
